The New York Jets need a backup behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers if they are serious about a Super Bowl run in 2024. Is the idea of sitting behind Rodgers a bad one?
Hindsight is 20/20, but there’s little argument that the New York Jets were mistaken in their absent search for a backup quarterback in 2023.
Owner Woody Johnson banked on quarterback Aaron Rodgers staying healthy for a full season. Of course, Rodgers didn’t last a full drive.
Backup Zach Wilson was supposed to have a redshirt season, soaking up Rodgers’ acumen and learning how the offense works. Instead, he was thrust into the fire and came out scorched, posting a historically poor season.
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New York, having learned its lesson, will look for a capable veteran backup in the event Rodgers goes down. However, the opportunity to play for a (potential) playoff contender might not be the bait the Jets expect it to be.
According to Rich Cimini, the idea of sitting behind Rodgers could be scaring targets away.
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“The challenge is finding the right fit,” Cimini wrote. “One veteran quarterback told ESPN it will be difficult to convince a top-tier backup to play for the Jets, knowing there’s no chance to supplant a healthy Rodgers. The only path to playing time is via injury.”
Playing behind Rodgers likely means not playing at all. For backup quarterbacks whose only audition comes on the field, that’s less than ideal. As the offseason continues, high-level backups may filter their way to teams with less certain quarterback situations, complete with fringe stars and rookie passers.
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Guys like Jacoby Brissett, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Ryan Tannehill may be willing to take second-string positions, but in a league where careers are so finite, the Jets become a less appealing candidate.
The Jets will certainly find someone to fill Wilson’s void, it just may not be their pick of the litter. Rodgers is on the wrong side of 40 and coming off of an Achilles injury, if any quarterback has an elevated injury risk, it’s probably him.
Ultimately, it would be hard to bring in a backup that would perform worse than Wilson did in 2023 – it’s just a matter of how big of an upgrade the Jets find.
