The Jets made a mistake by not backstopping Aaron Rodgers with a veteran option this season, putting their Zach Wilson redevelopment effort just behind the aging starter. The team paid the price for that strategy, but by all accounts, it is ready to move on from the disappointing former No. 2 overall pick.
With Wilson either set to be cut or perhaps traded, the Jets are going to need a new backup quarterback. GM Joe Douglas confirmed recently (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) a high probability exists the team will be in the market for a veteran to play behind Rodgers.
The team passed on the likes of Carson Wentz or a reunion with Joe Flacco, setting up the Browns to make an improbable playoff run behind borderline-stunning Flacco play. Once Rodgers went down, Jets ownership is believed to have capped the Jets due to the money already poured into the April trade for the Packers great. A September addition potentially impacting Wilson’s confidence also may have played a role in the team’s modest efforts following Rodgers’ Achilles tear, which led to Trevor Siemian joining the practice squad.
Siemian finished the season as the team’s starter, concluding a year in which a story featured Wilson voicing hesitancy about returning to the starting lineup and the Jets cutting the player they benched Wilson for — Tim Boyle — a day after his second start. With Wilson likely done in New York, the Jets will regroup with a more reliable option.
“When you have a Hall of Fame quarterback, you’re going to build it around his strengths, period,” Saleh said last month. “That’s a very common thing throughout the league. It’s not just a Jets thing. That’s leaguewide.
“Could we have done things better? I’m talking about myself and the coaching staff, with regards to, ‘All right, this is our worst-case scenario, now what?’ Absolutely, and it’s something that we will make sure that we do a heck of a lot better with in 2024.”
Considering the impact quarterback injuries made this season, the QB2 market could well see a boost. A high number of the backup options that signed this year are due back on the market soon. Jacoby Brissett, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, Tyler Huntley, Jameis Winston and three-year Jets starter Sam Darnold will be among the options set to be available. The 49ers seem unlikely to bring back Darnold, but this regime having traded the former No. 3 overall choice would seemingly impact a reunion. Would a Flacco return make sense? The Browns, as should be expected, will continue to build around Deshaun Watson‘s $230MM contract.
Recent starters Ryan Tannehill and Gardner Minshew also could factor into the backup market, though both are undoubtedly eyeing setups that would allow them to compete for a starting job. That would not be the case in New York, where a Rodgers-driven arrangement remains. The Jets are bringing back Douglas, Saleh and OC Nathaniel Hackett in a rather high-profile mulligan in the wake of the wreckage the Rodgers injury caused. But a quarterback that will give the organization more stability than what Wilson offered stands to be part of the 2024 equation as well.
The problem still goes back to the Owner,.GM and Head coach going after the wrong Future Hall of Fame QB las off season. If they would.habe went all in on Lamar Jackson and offered him a filly guaranteed contract he would have been Jets QB and you would still be playing. Instead we get a 40 plus year old QB who can’t stay healthy.. we are.rollimg it back and will likely have Deja vu…if we have Deja vu at least Douglas and Saleh will be sent packing…
The owners aren’t doing fully guaranteed deals ever again. Browns went rouge and did it for Watson. After that the owners called around and made it so that won’t happen again.
If the Jets got Lamar Jackson, he’d have been hit by a meteorite.
Karma gets very little right, almost nothing, but it’s got Woody “my company knowingly sold asbestos ridden baby powder” Johnson and the Jets’ number.
Rodgers will probably last one more snap than last year before his career is ended one quarter into next season and his backup will tear his ACL on his way out to the field to replace.
Jets may regret trading Wilson. kid has had the worst OLines and O-coordinators. He may take off on a functional team.
lol yeah sure see ya then
Moving on from Wilson? But he had such a good throw at his pro day.
It’s almost like drafting a good qb is as important as being able to develop him.
The biggest mistake was trading for a 39-year old man and expecting him to play QB for 17 weeks. Doing it again will be equally asinine.
Turning to a veteran QB was always the B plan. The Jets have certainly made attempts to find a long term solution through the draft. Unfortunately they lack the coaching assistants with the skill to develop these young prospects. Until that changes they’ll have stay with plan B.
Keep Wilson. Let him develop under Rodgers. If he goes down again,THEN bring in a vet.
It’s almost like they tried that already. Almost.
Pittsburgh will give them Trubisky for free
The timing is really on point.
Drew lock is a major upgrade from Zach imo. I’d take lock for a 2 year deal in case rogers goes down. And draft WRs bro
As long as that “veteran” backup QB isn’t a 38 year-old retread meant to backup a 40 year-old retread.
Even if you didn’t offer Jackson a filly guaranteed deal, you could have structured deal in which Ravens wouldn’t have matched. They should have at least taken a swing on him. Jets aren’t alone on passing on Jackson. Falcons, Saints, Seahawks, etc all should have tried. For him to receive no offers makes sense. Ravens ownership is laughing all the way to a likely Super Bowl…
Now trade Wilson and a 6th rounder to the Vikings for 2 7th rounders!!!!!
Thought Roger’s was Jesus christ superstar. Yea would B nice 2have sound backups @all positions, but hey sh#t happens especially when u severely overpay 4broken dwn big mouthd “look@ ME” QB …
They need to draft one of the handful of talented kids coming out of this draft. Rodgers will either get hurt again, be a shadow of himself, or crave so much NY spotlight it will effect his play.
It’s the most jet thing ever to bend over backwards for the “savior” who’s only played 4 snaps with the franchise. I honestly feel bad for them. This looney toon has them trapped like a 6 hot/ 14 crazy girlfriend for a guy who hasn’t dated in a decade.
I get they are extremely talented and he gives them a really good chance to seriously compete, bc he does. But the IF is too glaring.
Running it back is their best bet but they can still run it back and get the QB of the future as well. I known “the line sucks” but have a contingency plan that can springboard you forward. Not just keep you afloat for one season then leave you stranded.
Jets go’ne Jet.
Take a QB early and add 2 OL in draft and some in FA. If they settle for a vet backup they’re going to re-live the last two season and waste an extremely talented roster.