In his first game with the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury. It is rumored to be an Achilles injury, but nothing is confirmed yet. Here are five potential replacements for Aaron Rodgers.
When Rodgers went down, backup Zach Wilson was able to come in and help the Jets get a victory. He went 14/21 for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception. After the game, head coach Robert Salah said that Wilson would be the quarterback moving forward. Things can change quickly though.
While Wilson is getting the first shot to take the job, he will have to play well to keep his spot. The Jets believe they have a contending roster this season, so if he doesn’t perform, they will be looking for other quarterbacks to take his place. Currently, they will be looking for quarterbacks to provide insurance behind him, but that could change quickly.
A lot of people will want to see bigger names higher on this list, whether it be former retired players or a player acquired in a trade. McCoy is a more likely candidate because he is a free agent. The Jets already traded to acquire Rodgers and may be hesitant to give up draft picks for a quarterback who isn’t starting for someone else.
McCoy is an experienced player who has started in the league before. He has passed for 7,975 yards, 34 touchdowns and 32 interceptions on 62.6 percent completion. At the very least, McCoy could be a good backup for Wilson, but if Wilson struggles, he could provide some solid play at the position given the surrounding talent.
Jacoby Brissett seems to be a player that everyone wants to get as their backup. He has bounced around from the Colts to the Dolphins and Browns over the last few seasons. Now, he is the backup for the Washington Commanders behind Sam Howell.
Brissett was brought in to compete for the job, but now that Howell has won it, the Commanders may be ready to move on from him for the right price. They have a new ownership group and could be looking to acquire more picks to build the team up in the future. Brissett has passed for 10,350, 48 touchdowns and 23 interceptions on 61.1 percent completion. A trade of a mid to late-round pick could be worth it for the veteran.
Gardner Minshew was signed by the Colts this offseason, but then they drafted Anthony Richardson. Richardson started in week 1 and played decently for a first career start. While the Colts will want an older quarterback to help Richardson along, Minshew could be traded for draft picks to help the future of the team.
Minshew has passed for 6,632 yards, 44 touchdowns and 15 interceptions on 62.7 percent completion. While he has had the ability to start in the league, no one has given him a shot to be a long-term starter. The situation with the Jets may not either, but he could help them in the short term. If Wilson doesn’t play well, Minshew has shown that he can protect the football, which would be important for a team like the Jets who have such a good defense.
Tom Brady is getting all of the social media jokes about being the next Jets quarterback, but that isn’t very realistic. One quarterback who played last season, but now is working in media, could be the next quarterback. That person is Matt Ryan and he could be an enticing option because he could be signed and doesn’t need a trade to be acquired.
In his career, Ryan passed for 62,792 yards, 381 touchdowns and 183 interceptions on 65.6 percent completion. He did not have a particularly great season with the Colts in 2022, but with a better supporting cast in New York he could play better. If he is signed, he could initially provide some more veteran guidance to Zach Wilson before taking the job when things don’t go well.
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