The NFL is brutal, and the New York Jets experienced that in the worst possible way in their season opener. Never has a team gone into a season with so much hype and expectation just for it to be ripped away within seconds of the season starting. But that is exactly what happened four snaps into the game when quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down injured against the Buffalo Bills.
Unfortunately, Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles and his season is over, along with that, probably any real chance of the New York Jets making a serious run at a Super Bowl. In a sport where the quarterback is the most crucial position, losing one of the caliber of Rodgers is almost impossible to replace.
Jameis Winston:
Jameis Winston is currently the backup quarterback for the New Orleans Saints to Derek Carr who was signed from the Raiders this past offseason. The Saints could be open to trading the veteran quarterback for a price.
When Brees retired, Winston was given the starting job in New Orleans in 2021, and he started very well. He played seven games before getting injured. In those seven games, the Saints sat at a comfortable 5-2 passing for 1170 yards, 15 touchdowns to just three interceptions, the lowest interception percentage of his career.
It appeared he had turned a corner prior to his injury, but 2022 saw the same old Winston who was careless with the ball. After just 3 games he was benched and Andy Dalton replaced him.
If the New York Jets are okay with turning the ball over on offense then Winston makes a lot of sense, because there is no doubt that he is a player that can get the ball to all of those explosive weapons on the outside.
Matt Ryan:
This Jets team is stacked, they don’t need someone who will come in and throw for 5,000 yards, they need a game manager and that is what Matt Ryan excels at, especially at this stage of his career.
The New York Jets have a Super Bowl caliber team, their defense is arguably the best in the league, and they have the best running back tandem in the league with Breece Hall and four-time pro-bowler Dalvin Cook. The situation makes sense for both parties and very much represents a low-risk high-reward option.
Carson Wentz:
A player with this much talent shouldn’t be without a team, Carson Wentz is but he could be the savior for the New York Jets. Prior to tearing his ACL in his second year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Wentz was the favorite to be crowned the MVP that season.
However, in 2021 when he was playing for the Colts, he looked close to what he was in his first two seasons in Philadelphia. Although he was still susceptible to the odd boneheaded play, all in all, he took care of the ball for the most part and was effective. The Colts were leaning heavily on the run and let their defense get to work, a similar situation to what the New York Jets would ask him to do.
Wentz spent last season with the Washington Commanders and honestly didn’t do well at all, probably why he is a free agent at the moment. But to his defense, the Commanders were nowhere near as good as the Jets are now and this would be a great opportunity for him to build himself back up, behind a good offensive line and elite running backs.