5 free agents the Jets can sign to win Super Bowl next season

4. Jacoby Brissett, QB, Washington Commanders

Another big mistake that Douglas made last season was failing to adequately protect the team from a Rodgers injury. The Jets opted to bring back underachieving Zach Wilson as their backup with the idea he wouldn't have to play and could learn from Rodgers only to see that plan blow up after four snaps.

While talented, Wilson continued to show off the inconsistency that plagued him over the first two years of his career, doing next-to-nothing with the offense. The fact that the Jets went 7-10 with Wilson as their starter for most of the season is a credit to the defense, which won several games and put the Jets in position to secure at least three more wins (the Raiders, Falcons and first New England game jump out) if they got merely average quarterback play.

Adding a proven backup makes a ton of sense since expecting a 40-year-old Rodgers to play in 17 games coming off an Achilles injury isn't logical. The best fit here would be Jacoby Brissett, who spent last season backing up Sam Howell in Washington and is more than capable of providing solid play if Rodgers has to miss a few games in 2024.

It will cost more than a typical backup salary to bring in Brissett, who will likely be fielding offers from other teams that can offer him a more direct path to playing time than the Jets can. The organization clearly feels that a lack of backup plan at quarterback was a major issue that sunk their season so expect more investment in that roster spot this year.