After an entire offseason of excitement and build-up, week 1 was a disaster for the New York Jets, as the team and its fans watched in horror as Aaron Rodgers went down on the team’s opening series with what looks like a potentially season-ending Achilles injury.
In a bizarre sequence of events, the team managed to rally together and beat the Bills in a thrilling overtime win, 22 to 16. The win, however, came on the strength of the defense, special teams, and the skill players—as Zach Wilson still looked lost out there.
Let’s take a look around the NFL landscape at what quarterbacks the Jets should try to bring in if the worst-case scenario comes true and Rodgers is done for the year.
Joe Flacco
This one may be painful for Jets fans to read, but bringing back Joe Flacco may not be the worst idea. Unlike the rest of the quarterbacks on this list, Flacco actually made starts for the Jets last year—and could be brought in at a relatively low cost.
Obviously, there are some inherent limitations to bringing in Flacco at his advanced age, but with all the talent the Jets have, what they need is a quarterback who can make reads and protect the football, which Flacco should be capable of doing
Philip Rivers
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Kyle Shanahan recently admitted that had the team beat the Eagles in last year’s NFC Championship Game, they would’ve signed Philip Rivers to play in the Super Bowl.
While Rivers has diminished a good bit since his heyday with the Chargers—and has now been out of football for over a year, he could still be a viable option for the Jets. They have enough talented backs for him to check the ball down to and he’s a bonafide professional, who will be able run and lead their offense.
Carson Wentz
After seeing how he looked in DC for the Commanders last season, there’s clear reason to have reservations about bringing in Carson Wentz. But of all the guys on this list, Wentz might have the most upside.
If the Jets give him enough time to acclimate to the offense, he might just be the missing piece now that Rodgers is likely out.
Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy is a certified veteran at this point and he spent the entire offseason in the Arizona Cardinals training camp, so he can’t be too far off from football shape.
McCoy won’t win the Jets a ton of games by himself, but he’s a trustworthy game manager and a good option for New York in this desperate situation.
Jameis Winston
Jameis is another high-risk, high-reward option. The Jets wouldn’t be able to acquire him without giving something up, as he is still under contract with the Saints, but if I’m in the Jets front office, I’m strongly considering it.
Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan may be old—and may have looked rough the last couple of seasons, but he also wasn’t surrounded by the kind of talent that the Jets have on their roster this year.
There is reason to believe that the former league MVP could be revitalized and have just enough left in the tank to quarterback the Jets to a deep postseason run.
Tom Brady
Speaking of old… How about Tom Brady?
Yes, this one may be a little bit pie in the sky, but how electric would it be if the Jets were able to coax Brady out of retirement for one last run at the Lombardi Trophy. We all saw him at Gillette Week 1—he is still looking spry as ever
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick is another longshot option, but his name is already making rounds in the media. Don’t hold your breath on this one, but who knows? Maybe the Jets will watch some of his vintage Niners tape and get inspired to be the team that finally gives Kaep another chance.
Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill may not have looked great in Week 1, but he is definitely a much better option than Zach Wilson, not that that is saying much…
The Jets would have to part ways with some draft picks to make this one happen, but Tennessee may be looking to get Will Levis slotted into the action soon anyway and maybe the two sides can make a win-win deal.
Marcus Mariota
Mariota struggled to fit in with the Falcons last year and has now been relegated to a backup role in Philadelphia behind Jalen Hurts. The Eagles may be hesitant to deal him, as they clearly value Marcus as an insurance policy based on the $5 million contract they gave him this offseason.
But for the right price, the Jets may be able to bring him in and leverage his dual-threat abilities to create an offense with just enough fire power to complement a top-notch defense.
