Aaron Rodgers first season with the Jets lasted just four plays, as his foot got caught in the turf on a first down sack by Leonard Floyd, resulting in what we now know to be a ruptured Achilles.
The Jets played an incredible game on defense without Rodgers against the rival Bills, turning Josh Allen over four times and winning the game on a 65-yard punt return from Xavier Gipson. However, moving forward, the Jets know how hard it is to win games without high level quarterback play, and Zach Wilson looked an awful lot like the Zach Wilson of old, even in the win. His lone touchdown pass was off target, but brought in thanks to an early Catch of the Year candidate from Garrett Wilson in the end zone. His decision-making remained questionable, highlighted by a disastrous interception in the middle of the field that had Troy Aikman disgusted on the broadcast, and it was clear there was not a lot of confidence in Wilson from the coaching staff with how they handled the final drive of regulation.
Robert Saleh stated after the game they’re going to move forward with Wilson as their starter, but not many buy his attempt to pump up the confidence of Wilson as the real long-term plan for this season in New York. This is a roster built to contend now, and as such you’d expect them to at least take a very long look at what else is out there to try and give them a chance at fulfilling their preseason expectations this season. There are, effectively, three paths the Jets can take, starting with the one Saleh laid out after the game that no Jets fans want to go down.
Stick With Zach Wilson
Again, it seems unlikely the Jets roll with Wilson for the rest of the season, but it would be the most cost-effective decision and the one that requires the least amount of effort. That’s not really a good reason to make a quarterbacking decision in the NFL, but it is a possibility. The Jets can hope Wilson learned some things from Rodgers during camp and that the veteran star can serve as a Yoda figure of sorts while rehabbing, but the early returns from Monday night weren’t great. Wilson still seems to have a lot of the same problems that plagued him through his first two years in the league that led to the Jets trading for Rodgers, and I keep coming back to that final drive. After getting a fumble in which they faced a third down inside two minutes to go where a first down would come close to icing the game, the Jets didn’t even consider letting Wilson throw the ball and potentially ruin their chance to go up three with a field goal. Saleh knows even if they do make a trade or signing at quarterback, they’re going to need Wilson to play at least another week or two, and his postgame commentary seemed aimed at doing everything he can to keep Wilson’s spirits high after a stunning win that had very little to do with his play. The Jets know what this season looks like with Wilson under center, as they went through that last year, and I can’t imagine that’s the pathway they really want to go down.
Sign A Veteran Free Agent
The Jets will probably look to bring some guys in for workouts in an effort to kick the tires on the various veteran free agent quarterbacks on the market. Old friend Joe Flacco is out there, as is Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Colt McCoy, and, of course, the recently retired Tom Brady. None of those are particularly appealing names — Wentz is the youngest, at 30, with the rest all being 35+ — and there’s probably a reason they are all still available. That said, you could certainly talk yourself into any of them being a better option to manage the offense than Wilson, as Saleh knows he has an elite defense and might just want someone who won’t make crippling mistakes under center. Flacco, Ryan, and Foles would seem to be at the top of the list, provided Brady isn’t interested in exiting retirement a second time and joining a Pats rival, but they all haven’t looked very good in recent years.
Trade For A Top Backup QB
This is maybe my favorite option because it brings the funniest (and very possibly best) option into play for the Jets, which is to trade for former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold, who is now the backup for the 49ers. Darnold had a very solid finish to the year for the Panthers last season and was in the mix for the Niners starting job, beating out Trey Lance for the backup gig behind Brock Purdy. He would certainly be an upgrade over Wilson for this year, but whether the Niners are willing to part with good QB depth given their history of QB injuries is a genuine question.
The other options around the NFL as far as veteran backups go are Jameis Winston in New Orleans, Jacoby Brissett in Washington, Teddy Bridgewater in Detroit, Tyrod Taylor in New York, Taylor Heinicke in Atlanta, Andy Dalton in Carolina, Jarrett Stidham in Denver, and Mike White in Miami (another old friend of New York’s). Winston might bring the highest upside as a starter, although I’m not sure he fits the game management aspect Saleh might be looking for, while the rest of that list all have experience stepping in as starters and playing solidly. The truth is, there is no “good” option to replace Aaron Rodgers, but the Jets do have to consider all their potential options because as they showed on Monday night, this is a championship caliber defense. We’ll find out in the coming weeks which path they choose to go down, but I’d expect this to be a very busy week at One Jets Drive as they make a lot of calls to figure out which direction works best for them.