NFL Week 13 roundtable: Trevor Lawrence’s return, Aaron Rodgers’ future, second-year QB surge

The home teams feasted on Thanksgiving while the Kansas City Chiefs spent Black Friday rebuffing another Las Vegas Raiders attempt at a road upset.

So, as a result, the holidays leave Sunday’s schedule for Week 13 lighter than usual, but certainly not lacking. Our writers Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe dish on Trevor Lawrence’s return, Aaron Rodgers’ future, a possible leap for second-year quarterbacks, a potential Super Bowl LIX preview in Philadelphia Eagles–Baltimore Ravens and more in this week’s roundtable.

The Panthers, who nearly beat the Chiefs in Week 12, host the Bucs on Sunday. The Titans, who knocked off the Texans, are on the road against the Commanders. Do you feel second-year quarterbacks Bryce Young and Will Levis have turned a corner or do you need to see more?

Sando: Young seems to have stabilized to the point where the Panthers can leave him in the lineup and hope he develops. I would not mistake his progress for a sky-high ceiling, however. We still aren’t sure whether he can be more than a mid-tier starter. He does appear viable, however, and that’s a positive reflection on him and coach Dave Canales. In Tennessee, Levis just became the third player since 1960 to win a start while taking at least eight sacks and throwing a pick-six interception. That is not a winning formula. It was also the second time this season he had at least eight sacks and a pick-six in the same game. Definitely need to see more.

Howe: They’ve definitely turned a corner, but they haven’t left the neighborhood. Young is playing well, so the time on the bench seemed to serve as a good reset for the No. 1 pick. I think it’s fair to be optimistic that Canales has helped Young elevate his game, considering his track record with past quarterbacks. But until there’s more help around Young, it’s too soon to know where his potential lies. Levis is playing better, too, though I had him ranked as the worst starter in the league for a couple of weeks before this turnaround so there was clear room for growth. Levis still has to eliminate the crucial mistakes before he can be viewed as a long-term starter in the league.

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Keefer: Young deserves a ton of credit — rarely has a top pick who flailed so badly early in his career, then was benched, bounced back in a more impressive way with the same team. I still believe the Panthers see him as part of the organization’s future, and that wasn’t a guarantee just a few weeks ago. As for Levis, Jeff is right — his game-breaking mistakes remain a serious flaw. I think the Titans look long and hard at adding a new starting quarterback in the offseason.

Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is trying to come back from injury and is expected to play this week against the Texans for the last-place Jaguars. Is it worth it? Should he be shut down for the season?

Sando: If Lawrence is healthy, he should play. I think that’s the general standard for players and would not hold him out of games otherwise.

Howe: It’s absolutely worth it. Lawrence’s job is secure because of his contract, but plenty of other jobs in the organization are on the line and he owes it to them to be on the field. He also has to try to create optimism for 2025. If Lawrence plays well under the injury circumstances, it will carry weight in the locker room. That would be really important amid a lost season.

Keefer: When you sign a $275 million contract that pays you like one of the best quarterbacks in the league, there are certain expectations that come with it. For one, if you’re healthy, you suit up. Period. Lawrence is also staring at his fourth different head coach next season if Doug Pederson is ultimately let go — including interims — which tells you how chaotic his tenure in Jacksonville has been. I still think the Jaguars have enough to pull an upset one of these weeks, and it’s not like the Texans are playing well at the moment.

The Jets host the Seahawks with a chance to play spoiler, but the conversation around New York these days is about Aaron Rodgers, whose future is now in question. What’s best for the Jets at quarterback? What do you think will happen at this point?

Sando: Turning the page would be best for the Jets given Rodgers’ age and all that comes along with having him on the team. Acquiring him was worth the risk because the upside was high and the team appeared ready to win, but his Achilles injury and the overall state of the team makes a reset more appealing. I’d imagine this will be it for Rodgers and the Jets.

Howe: I asked three high-ranking executives who will be GM candidates how they’d handle the Rodgers situation if they ran the Jets. All three said they would release him with the post-June 1 designation, and I agree with them. Barring a significant turnaround in performance, this shouldn’t be a difficult decision, especially for a new regime that won’t wish to be anchored by the contract.

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Keefer: It’s time to move on. This gamble has been a bust from the start, and in typical Jets fashion, none of the immense hype — hype this team welcomed — translated into any real success. The Jets need to find new leadership and a new quarterback for 2025.

The Chargers and Falcons meet Sunday. Los Angeles is trying to hang on in the AFC wild-card hunt. Atlanta is trying to hang on in the NFC South race. Both teams have been exposed somewhat in the last week. What is your current confidence in them?

Sando: I’ve got more confidence in the Chargers than I have in the Falcons. There’s no shame in losing to Baltimore, as the Chargers did to end a four-game winning streak. Atlanta lost to New Orleans and then got blown out by Denver, leading coach Raheem Morris to question the team’s effort. That’s much more concerning that the Chargers’ slipup Monday night.

Howe: However inconsistent the Ravens have been at times, the Chargers ran into a buzzsaw this week. I think they’re in a good spot to make the playoffs because Justin Herbert is playing well and the defense should hold steady, but I don’t view them as a threat to make a run in January. The Falcons have too many sporadic performances. There are weeks when the defense looks pretty good and others when it can’t make a stop, and the offense has dealt with similar inconsistencies. They earned the tiebreaker by sweeping the Bucs, which is significant with a one-game lead in the NFC South, but it’s going to be a nervous ride to the finish line.

Keefer: I still don’t see the Chargers as a great team — certainly not on the level of Kansas City, Buffalo and perhaps even Pittsburgh in the AFC — but they remain a solid playoff contender. All four losses this season have come against a team in the thick of the postseason race. The Falcons? They remain more of a mystery — good enough to beat the Eagles early in the year and bad enough to get blown out by the Broncos the last time they played. Give me Los Angeles in this one as the NFC South race continues to get muddier.

Eagles-Ravens feels like it could be a Super Bowl preview and one storyline is what Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have done for their respective teams this season. Has their play done enough to revitalize the running back market?

Sando: Running back salaries at the top of the market already rebounded some after declining. I think those salaries at the top should continue to rebound partly because of the success these players have enjoyed. The running game in general has made a comeback and that will likely benefit running backs in the market.

Howe: No, they’re viewed as exceptions because they’re elite talents who joined strong organizations with solid rosters. It would be just as easy to look at Christian McCaffrey and point out how quickly a running back could go from the best in the league to someone with potentially career-altering injury issues. That’s why teams are so reluctant to go all in on a running back. Last offseason helped to stabilize the second and third tiers of the running back market, but it’ll be rare to see teams break the bank at the position.

Keefer: Not really. The running back market as a whole won’t shift all that much, but what Barkley and Henry are doing this season is reminding personnel execs how much an elite one truly matters. There’s only one or two on the market each year, but the game-changers at running back still matter. Imagine where the Eagles would be without Barkley this season? His three-year, $37.8 million contract was a steal.

(Top photo of Trevor Lawrence: Jorge Lemus / NurPhoto via Getty Images)