Zach Wilson suffered a knee injury in the New York Jets first preseason game. Here’s a look at 3 potential replacements if he’s out for an extended period.
The New York Jets had to watch as Zach Wilson limped off the field on Friday night due to a knee injury. If the injury ends up being serious, it would deal a major blow to their hopes for the 2022 season.
It could also lead to them looking elsewhere for a new starter. Here are three options they could consider.
New York Jets: 3 potential replacements for Zach Wilson
3. Taylor Heinicke
No one is going to confuse Taylor Heinicke with a franchise quarterback, but he has proven to be someone who is at least capable of moving the chains when called upon. Heinicke burst onto the scene in 2020 when he made a start in the playoffs for Washington against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The relatively unknown signal-caller threw for 306 yards as his team lost to the eventual Super Bowl champs, but it was a gutsy performance that led to him earning a new contract with the Commanders.
He was then expected to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick but when the bearded wonder was lost to an injury in Week 1, Heinicke stepped in and played well. He led Washington to a 7-8 record as the starter while throwing for 3,419 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 picks.
Now, he’s a reserve again after the Commanders brought in Carson Wentz. Perhaps they would be willing to recoup some draft capital spent on Wentz in exchange for Heinicke who could help New York stay afloat.
2. Andy Dalton
The New Orleans Saints are hopeful that Jameis Winston can return to the same form they saw early in the 2021 season. He had them off to a 5-2 start before a torn ACL ended his season. They then turned to Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill but neither had the success Winston did.
Since they weren’t sure if he would be healthy, the Saints also went out and added Andy Dalton in free agency. Dalton is an experienced backup who started for nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He then went to Dallas in 2020 and started nine games for the Cowboys when Dak Prescott broke his ankle.
He turned his solid play that season into a $10 million contract with the Chicago Bears who wanted him to start while Justin Fields sat and watched. Dalton and the entire Bears offense was a mess but that had more to do with Matt Nagy than it did with Dalton.
Now in New Orleans, they hope he won’t be needed — and maybe if Winston looks to be fully recovered from his ACL injury (and the recent foot sprain is minor), they might be willing to listen to an offer. For Dalton, he would surely prefer to play rather than watch, but it also might cost New York a higher draft pick than expected to pry Dalton out of their hands.
But if they feel as though they could make some noise this season with a capable signal-caller, it could be worth it.
1. Jimmy Garoppolo
Back in 2017, the San Francisco 49ers traded for Jimmy Garoppolo, who had won two Super Bowls as a reserve for the New England Patriots. Garoppolo had success right away, going 5-0 as the starter to close out the season.
He suffered a season-ending injury in 2018 but returned to lead the Niners to a 13-3 record in 2019 as well as a Super Bowl berth. After another injury-plagued season, he again found success in 2021 as San Francisco fell just short of another trip to the Super Bowl.
While he has had success with the 49ers, they’re ready to turn the page and start Trey Lance. Garoppoo is now free to look for a new home via trade, and one option could have opened up due to Zach Wilson’s unfortunate injury.
One thing that makes this one seem likely is the relationship Jimmy G already has with the Jets coaching staff. He knows head coach Robert Saleh from his time as the defensive coordinator in San Francisco. Garoppolo is also very familiar with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who was the passing game coordinator for the first four seasons he was in San Francisco.
The two had a lot of success together and Saleh knows his competitiveness after going against him every day in practice for the same amount of time.
Garoppolo might not be a perfect player but it’s hard to find a better option at this point in the year than what he presents.