Sam Howell To Jets: Gang Green 'Likes' Commanders' Quarterback?
QB1 may already be determined, but who will back up the future Hall-of-Famer is certainly up for debate in Florham Park.
The New York Jets saw their 2023 season wither away just four plays into the start of the season when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles. Without a quality backup quarterback, Gang Green's offense struggled to look competent all year and it resulted in a second-straight 7-10 season.
With an investment at the backup quarterback position a heavy priority for the team this season, there are plenty of free-agent options expected to be available. Quarterbacks like Ryan Tannehill, Gardner Minshew, and Jacoby Brissett have had quality starter experience in recent years, while others like Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, and Mitchell Trubisky are now career backups who can start in a pinch.
There's another possibility outside the free-agent market, though.
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With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, teams with top picks may be inclined to part ways with their previous season's starters in hopes of giving the newly drafted player a clean field. That means someone like Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell could be on the move this offseason as the nation's capital prepares for a new quarterback to hitch their hopes to.
Could the Jets be a likely candidate to trade for Howell to learn behind the likes of Rodgers? As reported by Connor Hughes of SNY, there are those in the organization who like Howell as a passer.
For starters, New York could do a lot worse as their backup quarterback than Howell. True, the mid-round draft pick in 2022 led the league with 21 interceptions last season, but he showed enough promise as a prospect to be a player that a team like Gang Green could ship their hopes to.
Howell was sacked more than any other quarterback last season while throwing the ball a league-high 612 times. There were a lot of other problems the Commanders had in 2023 outside of just having a young quarterback go through typical growing pains.
The Jets are uniquely equipped to take on a player of Howell's stature. The North Carolina product carries a cap hit of just over $1 million through the next two seasons. Being on his rookie deal could be an enticing piece for New York as they have other positions to address in the 2024 offseason.
What would compensation look like for a team in Washington looking to start over at quarterback, though?
With eight draft picks in 2024, the Jets could feasibly throw in a late-round pick swap with the Commanders for Howell's services. Potentially throwing in former second-overall pick Zach Wilson could be on the table as well.
New York needs answers at the backup quarterback position. They could look to free agency to make a move, but instead of spending a portion of the cap on veteran players, making a trade for a starter on a rookie deal is very enticing.
Howell may have a ways to go to be a top passer in this league, and he may never get there, but he has shown far more prowess than the likes of Wilson before him.
It could be the kind of move that the Jets look back on happily in the future.
