It was Robert Saleh’s motto for this year’s training camp. It was what he demanded his players and coaches ask of themselves over and over. Now the question gets posed to him and GM Joe Douglas.

Now what?

Aaron Rodgers is officially out for the year after his Achilles injury that he sustained four offensive plays into the Jets season. Now what? Is Zach Wilson the answer? Or do the Jets need to bring in another QB to at least attempt to get this team into the playoffs for the first time in a dozen years?

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the options potentially available to the Jets at QB. I used what I like to call the “yuck scale”. The higher a player is on the yuck scale, the worse it will be for the Jets if they start them.

Potential Quarterbacks for the 2023 Jets

Zach Wilson – The incumbent

Zach Wilson is on the team, he knows the guys and he has studied the system all off season. He has a clear leg up over any player the Jets were to bring in.

Here’s the problem, he is just not good. He might now the system, but he doesn’t understand football at the pro level. What was supposed to be a highly complicated offense, now gets dumbed down for a player who may not make the correct read he was given.

He is the reason the Jets needed to go get Aaron Rodgers in the first place. The were hoping a few years following Rodgers around would get him to a spot where he could start in the NFL, but that hasn’t happened yet.

YUCK RATING: 🤢 🤢 🤢 🤢 🤢🤢

Joe Flacco – The old guy. Currently a free agent

We saw what Joe Flacco could do with these offensive weapons in limited action last year. It wasn’t pretty. Garrett Wilson did have some nice games with Flacco under center, but in reality Flacco is a statue in the pocket behind some questionable offensive line play.

Flacco has reportedly already reached out to the Jets and expressed an interest in returning to the team.  Reports are he is in good shape.

He has some familiarity with some of the players, but he has no experience in the system and we all know what they say about old dogs and new tricks…

YUCK RATING: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

Matt Ryan – The washed-up vet. Currently in pseudo-retirement

Matt Ryan has been an MVP in the league. He knows how to command a huddle and is loved by the guys he plays with. But the proverbial cliff hit Matty Ice hard last year and he was barely serviceable behind a team that had a good offensive line.

He was 4-7 as a starter and had his lowest QBR of his career. I would imagine he would be intrigued by the Jets, but ultimately, I think he stays on the couch.

YUCK RATING: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

Colt McCoy – The career backup. Currently a free agent

The Cardinals made headlines when they cut Colt McCoy at the end of preseason considering Kyler Murray is still recovering from injury. Thoughts were that he would be the starter until Murray returned but the ultimately wound up going with Josh Dobbs.

McCoy is a savvy quarterback who understands the game and is a great locker room guy. The problem is that he isn’t very talented. The Jets might bring him in to backup Zach Wilson if no other deal makes sense to them.

YUCK RATING: 🤢 🤢 🤢 🤢 🤢🤢

Nick Foles – The one hit wonder. Currently a free agent.

Joe Douglas was in the Eagles front office when Nick Foles took them to the promise land and won the Lombardi. Since then, every place the 34-year-old Foles has attempted to go has ended in disaster.

Could it be different with the Jets? Maybe. But it would be hard for me to understand why. He has 21 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 22 games for four different teams. Maybe the problem isn’t the situation. But still, the Joe Douglas connection can’t be overlooked.

YUCK RATING: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

Jameis Winston – The former super star. Current backup for the New Orleans Saints

Jameis Winston is a former first overall pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that could sling the ball around the field. The problem is that he always tried to do too much. Who could forget him throwing 33 touchdowns and over 5,000 yards but only to match it with 30 interceptions.

Can Jameis be contained? Can he mature enough to play within, or at least adjacent to, the confines of an offensive system? Can he pick up a complicated offense like Nathaniel Hackett’s?

The interesting part of Jameis is the talent is obviously there. Being that Winston was benched last year for Andy Dalton in New Orleans and then the brought in Derek Carr this season, not to mention the team’s affinity for Taysom Hill, he would obviously love a change of scenery. It shouldn’t cost that much to pry him away from the Saints.

YUCK RATING: 🤢🤢🤢

Tom Brady – The Goat. Currently retired.

STOP IT.  NOT HAPPENING.

Colin Kaepernick – The Protester. Currently a free agent

Kaepernick is a lightning rod for all the wrong reasons.  Bringing him into a locker room can only cause issues that the Jets simply don’t need to face.  Whatever you may think about the man, he comes with baggage.  The Jets are already dealing with enough and certainly don’t need to add something bigger than football to their list of things to worry about.

Kaepernick's agent has reportedly reached out to the Jets and made his desire known to return to the NFL.

Not to mention, Colin Kaepernick has not been on and NFL team since 2016, let alone had a training camp or a play book.  I just can't see this happening and would hate the circus that surrounded the team if they brought him in.

YUCK RATING: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

Cooper Rush – The successful backup. Currently backup for the Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys traded for Trey Lance at the end of preseason so it is safe to say they are looking to go in a different direction outside of Dak Prescott. The 29-year-old Rush was 4-1 in fill in duty behind an elite defense (sound familiar) last year.

Maybe he is just one of those guys that knows how to take care of the football and rely on a defense. Or maybe football is a funny sport and there is a reason the Cowboys traded for Trey Lance.

Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones didn't sound too eager to give up Cooper Rush.  "I can’t imagine what it would be [to make that type of trade]. But the facts are, just as they do, we could need Rush in a play. And we did last year. We did the year before. Boy, especially when you got all the promise we got, to compromise yourself with the depth at that position would be very unlikely,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan.

The floor seems high for rush, but you might need to duck your head, because the ceiling is low.

YUCK RATING: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

Carson Wentz – The former golden boy. Currently a free agent.

Three teams have spent money and draft capital to acquire Carson Wentz. Three teams thought he could be the guy that saved their franchise. And three teams have ran him out of town unceremoniously.

He is a turnover machine and isn’t considered to be a great leader in the locker room.

That being said, Joe Douglas was with the Eagles when they drafted Wentz and knows the player he is supposed to be. Wentz has shown flashes of being a top talent QB in the league. In 2017, he was likely going to be a finalist for the MVP if he didn’t get hurt.

This might be the guy Joe Douglas is most comfortable with. That doesn’t make it right.

YUCK RATING: 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

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There are other names the Jets might pursue, but these are main candidates I see them attempting to keep the playoff dreams alive. 

My personal opinion would be to bring in Jameis Winston and live with some of the mistakes. His ceiling and motivation is the highest of all the candidates. If the Jets look to go the safe option, I would sign Cooper Rush or Colt McCoy.

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