The New York Jets will be shopping for a quarterback in the offseason. These five passers would be a considerable upgrade over Zach Wilson.
There are few things more frustrating in the NFL than having a team ready to win that is being held back by bad quarterback play. The New York Jets are now stuck in no man’s land as Zach Wilson was benched for the second time this season during Thursday’s 19-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Things got so bad that the fans, who booed Wilson nearly every time he made a mistake, went bonkers for fourth-stringer Chris Steveler’s mere competence in moving the offense. Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters after the game that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Wilson but his refusal to go back to the second overall pick in the 2021 draft with the Jets’ season on the line signals that Wilson’s days are numbered.
The Jets are an attractive destination for quarterbacks looking to win thanks to their elite defense and strong collection of playmakers headlined by rookies Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, who should be back from an ACL injury at the start of 2023. Let’s take a look at five quarterbacks New York should consider to replace Wilson.
Quarterbacks to consider to replace Zach Wilson: 5. Tom Brady
The idea of Tom Brady playing in green and white would be blasphemy to New England fans but he is a free agent at the end of the season. Brady is reportedly keeping his options open after Tampa Bay’s decline this season and few places would be better set up for him to win right now than New York.
There are better fits for Brady, including a reunion with Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas and going home to San Francisco, but the Jets have to be included in the conversation of contenders for Brady’s services. It would also be fascinating to see New York fans have to root for TB12 after spending the better part of two decades despising him.
Quarterbacks to consider to replace Zach Wilson: 4. Aaron Rodgers
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before Jets fans: a future Hall of Fame quarterback from the Green Bay Packers could be a trade target. The stunning decline in Green Bay could lead Rodgers, who has wanted out of town in the past, to revisit his trade request as he tries to add a second Lombardi Trophy to his resume.
Jets’ offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is the brother of Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur so there is some overlap in the offensive systems the two teams run with both brothers coming from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. The opportunity to throw to a group of talented young pass catchers such as Wilson and Elijah Moore would also hold some appeal to Rodgers, who has always bemoaned his lack of talented options in Green Bay.
The trade market for Rodgers could be robust and several other teams could be fits for him, including the Raiders, which would allow him to reunite with Davante Adams. It is also clear that Rodgers will have complete control of any potential trade given how much he means to the Packers’ organization so the Jets would have to sell him on being a part of the franchise.
New York has the draft capital to afford a trade for Rodgers and has enough salary cap flexibility to fit his contract on their books with a number of their key contributors on rookie deals. Adding Rodgers to the roster would put the Jets right behind Buffalo and Kansas City as AFC Super Bowl contenders.
Quarterbacks to consider to replace Zach Wilson: 3. Daniel Jones
Perhaps the best answer to the Jets’ quarterback conundrum shares a stadium with them. Fifth-year quarterback Daniel Jones has had a strong season with the New York Giants, cutting down on the turnovers and helping guide a talent-deficient team into playoff contention.
Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll has done a remarkable job coaching up Jones and helping him manage the game to avoid mistakes. That kind of passer can do wonders in LaFleur’s offense since seemingly every other quarterback besides Wilson has had immediate success moving the football.
Jones would inherit a much better stable of weapons than the ones he currently has, allowing him to make more plays. The fact that Jones also has some mobility would be a huge asset for the Jets given their concerns along the offensive line.
There is a chance that Jones is allowed to hit free agency since the Giants would have to use the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley if the two sides can’t negotiate a long-term deal prior to the start of free agency. The Giants would prefer to keep Jones since they don’t have many options to improve at the position but the Jets have a better salary cap situation, which would allow them to make an offer to Jones that would be tough for their cross-town rivals to match.
Quarterbacks to consider to replace Zach Wilson: 2. Jimmy Garoppolo
There may not be a better fit for the Jets’ offense than the guy who has run it to great success in San Francisco. Jimmy Garoppolo has been nearly run out of town on several occasions but the fact of the matter is that he does plenty to help the 49ers win in a system that is very friendly to quarterbacks.
The 49ers nearly won the Super Bowl with Garoppolo three years ago in a similar setup as the one the Jets have now. New York has an elite defense and playmakers all over the offense, which would allow Garoppolo to simply manage the game and make a few timely throws to help the Jets win games.
The question becomes whether the 49ers opt to retain Garoppolo, who will become a free agent after this season, due to the uncertainty over the future of Trey Lance. The locker room loves Garoppolo, which could sway the team to keep him, but San Francisco will likely swing for a bigger upgrade to try and take advantage of their Super Bowl window.
Adding Garoppolo may not be the sexiest option on the board for the Jets but it is the safest available to them. There is little doubt that a healthy Garoppolo would have this Jets roster in the playoffs and possibly in contention for the top overall seed in the AFC.
Quarterbacks to consider to replace Zach Wilson: 1. Derek Carr
The best potential option that would reasonably be available to the Jets is Carr, who has had a down year for the Raiders after signing a massive contract extension in April. The fit between Carr and new head coach Josh McDaniels has not gone smoothly as Carr’s overall production has been down significantly from a year ago.
Ordinarily, Carr’s contract would be an issue but the team built a potential out into the deal after this season, allowing them to get out of the rest of his deal with just over $5 million in dead money. Las Vegas will likely go big-game hunting at the position and has been linked to both Brady and Rodgers, which would force Carr out of a job.
Carr has a full no-trade clause but he would likely waive it to come to New York, where he will be entering a quarterback-friendly offense with a more stable coaching staff than the ones he’s dealt with in Las Vegas. There is also still upside in Carr’s game that would lead most to believe he can be a championship-caliber quarterback in the right situation, which New York could provide.
Adding a quarterback like Derek Carr to the Jets’ roster would significantly increase the ceiling of the offense, which would be a massive win. Having Carr under center would also allow New York to dream of winning a Super Bowl, something the Jets haven’t done in over 50 years.