Insider 'fading the hell out of the Jets' despite Aaron Rodgers

NFL insider Jason La Canfora shared during an appearance on the "In The Huddle" podcast that he is "fading the hell out of the" 2023 New York Jets even though they have Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback. 

"The Jets have a really tough early schedule in part because they’re playing a lot of primetime games," La Canfora explained, according to Ryan Gilbert of Audacy. "The league is looking to make money off the Jets." 

The Jets are scheduled to play four primetime games across their first nine contests and that doesn't account for matchups possibly being flexed into different broadcast slots this fall. 

While Gang Green may welcome taking the field in front of national television audiences whenever possible, La Canfora mentioned the team's offensive line could become a significant issue once the games begin to matter. 

"The part I love about the Jets — I bet you don’t hear a whole lot about this on 'Hard Knocks' — how (offensive tackle) Mekhi Becton still looks like a stiff," La Canfora continued. "How Duane Brown’s a 36-year-old starting left tackle." 

As noted by SNY's Ben Krimmel and Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Becton missed the majority of the past two seasons due to knee injuries. Brown, who turns 38 in August, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. 

"Who’s behind Mekhi Becton on the depth chart? Max Mitchell," La Canfora added. "I bet you don’t know him at all. So that’s what I’m looking at. The best teams in football are built from the inside out. (Rodgers) at this stage of his career needs to be incubated." 

La Canfora also suggested Rodgers' play during his final campaign with the Green Bay Packers indicates the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player is past his physical prime. 

Per ESPN stats, Rodgers ended the 2022 regular season ranked 26th among eligible players with a 39.3 adjusted QBR. He also suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand in Week 5 and later went down with a rib injury in Week 12. 

"When they’re below .500 at the early bye, we’ll see how Aaron Rodgers handles that," La Canfora predicted about the Jets' record following their Week 6 clash with the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 15. "We’ll see how up for the fight Aaron Rodgers is." 

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio raised eyebrows back in April when he said he "would bet against (the Jets) making the playoffs" for the upcoming season. La Canfora seems to be rooting for that exact outcome.