It’s another week in the soap opera, “As the Jets’ quarterback turns..”
Before anything spins any further..remember..trust GM Joe Douglas. He will find a way..
For a few weeks, it appeared Derek Carr would be the new Jets’ quarterback Messiah. All signs pointed to Carr taking over the role, and questions being answered once and for all. There would be no more second guessing.
The thought of Aaron Rodgers leading the Jets to the Promised Land became more and more of a longshot. There also was the amount of dirty laundry that came with Rodgers. Too many quirky things surrounding him. Carr was more stable, and he could deliver.
I still fear that Rodgers could ruin the current chemistry. He’s the object that you always coveted to make your life better, but in the back of your mind, you know you shouldn’t have it.
Back to “As the Jets’ quarterback turns….”
Carr will be spending the next few years in the Big Easy on a team that still needs to align plenty of things in order, unlike the Jets.
Good luck, Derek. You could have had it good here.
Back to Rodgers. Now Jets’ brass have twirled the spotlight back on him. It’s compensation time, and what will the Jets give up and how can they work his contract into the ever-puzzling salary cap.
That’s where it appears to be headed. Prize rookie corner Sauce Gardner has been one of the more vocal players who have expressed their support for Rodgers.
Douglas picked up another piece to his vaulted defense when he added Baltimore safety Chuck Clark for a late-round 2024 pick. They padded some revenue to their salary cap by letting go of special teams extraordinaire Braxton Barrios.
This can be another one of those special teams moves that comes back to haunt them. A few years ago, they parted ways with All-Pro kicker Jason Myers, and now may have finally found his replacement with Greg Zuerlein, who arguably was a MVP-type candidate last season. Still, return men can be hard to find.
Trust Douglas..
We will have to trust him to deliver Rodgers without a major overhaul. He has effectively worked his major since he has been in Florham Park.
By Monday, we will know if Rodgers will be wearing Green and White. The league free-agent feeding frenzy will be a whirlwind.
If Rodgers decides to stay in Green Bay, Douglas and the brass will be in the hunt for the likes of Baker Mayfield, Andy Dalton, Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett. I can’t see Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz, Teddy Bridgewater, Taylor Heinicke, or Marcus Mariota coming here.
Forget about Lamar Jackson coming here. That won’t happen. Douglas knows better to get involved with that mess.
Ironically, Mike White, Joe Flacco, and Sam Darnold will be looking for work. White has hinted that he wants to head back to the West Coast, and his Jets’ experiment appears to be over.
If there is no Rodgers, it’s back to Plan A.. or Plan W..the W is for Zach Wilson.
Yes, Wilson quietly blended back into the background, but he is still an option. Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh confirmed it publicly.
The initial plan was to get a veteran quarterback for Wilson, and let him try again. In hindsight, it should have been the plan all along. But that’s the pressure of dealing with the second overall pick in the draft in the biggest media market.
Plan C is to try and somehow trade up in the draft with their 13th overall for a top-flite quarterback. That’s probably the most unlikely of the scenarios.
Trust Douglas…
He does have a top-tier level defense and the making of a top-tier running game as well. Heck, even former top pick lineman Mekhi Becton is again actively working to get in shape. He just needs to stay out of his refrigerator.
Tune in next week for another episode of “As the Jets’ Quarterback Turns…”
You’ll either be ecstatic, surprised or disappointed.