The scene at MetLife Stadium was palpable on Monday Night Football as fans of the New York Jets were anxious to see their new franchise quarterback in Aaron Rodgers take the field. Fans went from being animated to dejected on New York’s first drive on offense when Rodgers went down with a lower leg injury.
Rodgers made the trip to the medical tent and was carted to the tunnel before undergoing further testing while sporting a walking boot. Following an improbable win sans Rodgers, Robert Saleh shared that the Jets believe it’s an Achilles injury, which means he’s expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Buy Jets TicketsSaleh was confident in saying that Zach Wilson will be the starter for the rest of the year, but even if that’s true, the Jets can’t rely on Wilson and Tim Boyle being their two quarterbacks on the roster. Taking that into account, here are five veteran quarterbacks the Jets could consider adding.
Jacoby Brissett
Jacoby Brissett is on his fifth different team since entering the NFL in 2016 as a third-round pick upon signing with the Washington Commanders in the offseason. The Commanders held a quarterback competition in the offseason, only for Sam Howell to be named the starter early on in his sophomore campaign.
Brissett was solid for the Cleveland Browns in 2022, airing it out for 2,608 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 11 starts. The veteran signal-caller outperformed Deshaun Watson a season ago and has always been a formidable starter when his number has been called. Washington may not be interested in moving Brissett, though, especially if Howell underwhelms as the starter.
Jameis Winston
At this point in his career, Jameis Winston is considered more of a meme than an NFL quarterback to some. The former No. 1 overall pick is in his fourth year with the New Orleans Saints and he’s currently the backup to Derek Carr.
Winston had a stretch of seven starts to begin the 2021 season where he threw for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only three interceptions before suffering a season-ending torn ACL. While injuries have been a concern in recent years, Winston is still 29 years old and the Jets could do a lot worse than the former first-round pick.
Andy Dalton
Another quarterback who recently spent time with the Saints is Andy Dalton, who is now operating as the backup to rookie Bryce Young on the Carolina Panthers. Dalton is what he is at this point, which is an experienced quarterback who should only be asked to start if an injury occurs to the starter.
Dalton is on his fourth different team in the past four years, and while making 14 starts for the Saints in 2022, he finished with only 2,871 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The Panthers may not want to move Dalton as he provides experience behind Young, and at the least, he could do the same for Wilson if he struggles for the Jets.
Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco began the 2022 season as the starting quarterback for the Jets with Wilson dealing with an injury… and he wasn’t terrible. The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback notched 901 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in his first three starts a season ago.
That includes a 307-yard, four-touchdown outing in Week 2 to come from behind to defeat the Cleveland Browns. Flacco is a free agent, and he isn’t the most exciting option, but he has experience with the Jets and is capable of still pushing the ball down the field. He also had a solid rapport with Garrett Wilson in their short stint together.
Colt McCoy
After many expected the Arizona Cardinals to lean on veteran Colt McCoy at quarterback until Kyler Murray returns from injury, the Cardinals released McCoy and acquired Josh Dobbs from the Browns in a trade. McCoy remains in free agency and he’s in his 13th season in the NFL, and he’s primarily been a backup.
So if the Jets intend to roll with Wilson as the starter, McCoy would be a viable backup who can provide insight and experience behind him. When McCoy has been asked to start throughout his career, he hasn’t always produced positive results, but he’s considered a formidable backup due to his knowledge of the game.
