Aaron Rodgers’s Torn Achilles: 10 QB Options for the Jets

New York will likely be in need of a backup or a starter to compete with Zach Wilson, so Jameis Winston, Cooper Rush and Carson Wentz could be among the options.

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss the rest of the 2023 NFL season with a torn Achilles suffered during the first drive of Monday night’s win against the Bills.

With Rodgers out, the Jets will be in need of another quarterback to either serve as the backup or compete with Zach Wilson for the starting job.

Wilson made enough plays to help the Jets pull off the thrilling victory over the Bills, but the 2021 No. 2 pick committed many mistakes throughout the rocky performance.

Winston and Wentz could be two option for the Jets to replace Rodgers.  :: Stephen Lew/USA TODAY Sports (Winston); Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports (Wentz)

The Jets might not have many ideal options when it comes to free agents, but perhaps they could explore the trade market for another signal-caller. Here are 10 potential QB options for the Jets.

Trade options

Jameis Winston, Saints: Winston is probably the best option for the Jets among the 10 quarterbacks listed here. He checks many boxes as an experienced quarterback with a knack for creating plays downfield. As we saw Monday night, all Garrett Wilson needs is to have the ball thrown near his vicinity, and he’ll do the rest. Winston had plenty of success throwing bombs to Mike Evans during his time with the Buccaneers.

Winston, however, has issues with protecting the football—he had a whopping 30 interceptions in 2019. But that might not be an issue with how dominant the Jets’ defense has been under Saleh. Winston has 80 career starts under his belt with 139 touchdowns and 96 interceptions. It might cost New York a middle-round draft pick to trade for Winston, but New Orleans might listen with Taysom Hill on the roster to back up Derek Carr.

Malik Willis, Titans: Tennessee selected Willis over Will Levis as the backup for Ryan Tannehill to start the season, but Willis wasn’t drafted by first-year GM Ran Carthon, who spent a second-round pick on Levis. Perhaps Carthon will do a solid for Saleh, who worked with Carthon during their days together with the 49ers. Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, struggled as a rookie, but he displayed improvements during the preseason.

Tyler Huntley, Ravens: Huntley had a rough summer and found himself competing with Josh Johnson for the No. 2 job behind Lamar Jackson. Huntley was also tabbed as the No. 3 emergency quarterback for the season opener vs. the Texans, but that was partly because he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury. If the Ravens have soured on their Pro Bowl quarterback—in case you forgot, Huntley surprisingly made the Pro Bowl last season—maybe they’ll consider trading him to the Jets. Huntley started four games in each of the past two seasons.

Cooper Rush, Cowboys: Rush might be the odd man out in Dallas after the team traded for Trey Lance to eventually back up Dak Prescott. There could be an opportunity here for the Jets to acquire Rush, who kept the Cowboys afloat with a 4–1 record last season while Prescott was sidelined in 2022. Rush completed only 58% of his passes last season, but he has found ways to win games.

Davis Mills, Texans: Mills might not be needed in Houston, with Case Keenum serving as the mentor for rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Mills had many highs and lows the past two seasons as the Texans’ starting quarterback, but he has 26 career starts and threw for 3,118 yards last season. On the other hand, Mills had a league-high 15 interceptions in 2022.

Brandon Allen, 49ers: The 49ers probably wouldn’t mind helping out their former defensive coordinator (Saleh), but they know better than any other team the importance of having three quarterbacks on the roster. It’s hard seeing the 49ers going with only Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold after losing all their quarterbacks in the NFC title game last season. If Allen is available, he might be a decent option to compete with Wilson. The former Bengal and Bronco has nine career starts with a career completion of 56.7%, 10 touchdown passes and six interceptions.

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Free agents

Carson Wentz: The 2016 No. 2 pick might be one of the better quarterbacks on this list, but it’s concerning how poorly he played at times with the Colts and Commanders the past two seasons. Wentz hasn’t been the same quarterback since losing his job to Nick Foles (perhaps another option for the Jets) in Philadelphia. Wentz has a strong arm, and maybe his mistakes from his erratic play might not hurt the Jets too much as they have a dominant defense.

Flacco started four games for the Jets in 2022 :: Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports

Joe Flacco: The Super Bowl–winning quarterback is an option because he’s familiar with the team after starting four games with the Jets last season. But he failed to get the offense going and might have been worse than Wilson in 2022. If New York favors familiarity, perhaps Flacco will be the choice, but he might be added only to serve as Wilson’s experienced backup.

Matt Ryan: The former MVP is currently a TV analyst, but he hasn’t officially retired. Ryan has had plenty of success in the NFL, but he might not be an ideal option with how poorly he played for the Colts last season. He didn’t have much arm strength during his lone season in Indianapolis.

Colt McCoy: The long-time backup quarterback is a quality option, but he’s reportedly dealing with an elbow injury, which played a role in why he was released by the Cardinals a few weeks ago. McCoy, a 13-year veteran, also dealt with injuries last season. If he’s healthy, he has plenty to offer with 56 career games played, including 36 starts.