It's easy to feel worried about the Patriots with Aaron Rodgers now a member of the Jets. New England already had to face Josh Allen twice a season, and now it must deal with Rodgers, too.
But could New York's acquisition of the future Hall of Famer eventually turn into a positive for the Patriots? New England cornerback Jonathan Jones attempted to make that case during a recent appearance on Josina Anderson's "The Crew" podcast.
"It is (stacked)," Jones said of the AFC East. "It's a great division to be in, especially as a cornerback. We accept that challenge with A-Rod joining the East, I think it's going to be an exciting year.
" ... I like to play against some of the best competition. Being in New England, practicing against Tom (Brady) every day, games were usually easy because you practice all week against one of the best. So, having great competition in your division, it makes you better. It's going to make a lot of your games outside the division a little bit easier."
There's no guarantee that the 39-year-old Rodgers will play well with the Jets. The superstar quarterback is coming off arguably his worst full season as a pro, and his leadership over the last few years with the Green Bay Packers deserves to be criticized.
But after watching his Patriots lose to Rodgers and the Packers last season, Jones still believes the four-time NFL MVP is an elite signal-caller.
"We played him last year," Jones said. "Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers in my mind."
