Could Sam Darnold be a Jet again?
Don’t laugh, it could be possible.
The NFL free-agent frenzy is on the horizon – and the Jets will look to be prominent players in the market.They will have roughly $25 million in cap space available, and the needs are quite apparent.
The Jets can look to pick up a wide receiver to complement Garrett Wilson, and they will definitely need some help on the offensive line, especially with the recent release of Laken Tomlinson. He played in every game over the past two years, but Tomlinson’s effectiveness wore down over the season. His release upped the Jets’ anty to its current state.
So, what is the Jets’ prime need?
With Aaron Rodgers’s collapse and Zach Wilson’s underachievement last season, it would seem to be quarterback.
Major memo: The Jets need a veteran backup quarterback.
Jets GM Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh seem to have got the message. In case you missed it, Wilson basically got the boot earlier this week when Douglas told him he could work out a trade.
Where do the Jets go?
Darnold is an option here if the once Jets wunderkind decided to leave cushy confines of being a backup in San Francisco. He also cut be on the shortlist of the Giants if they decide to draft a quarterback
They can also start with Gardner Minshew, who did an admirable job with the Colts last season, and former Colts’ quarterback Jacoby Brissett also has loomed as a favorite.
Russell Wilson had been mentioned, and he is another safe solution. But Wilson’s future appears to have a better shot in Pittsburgh or New England, both where he would have a legitimate shot at playing instead of waiting for a Rodgers’ injury.
Critics have scoffed at the thought of Wilson signing with the Jets, but the season-to-be 36-year-old could fill the role. The Giants also have looked into the possibility of having him as a bridge to a new quarterback.
Others who are out there? You can look at Ryan Tannehill, Tyrod Taylor, and Andy Dalton. Taylor can be a strong choice, but he has been saddled with injuries lately. Does Joe Flacco merit another look and does he have anything left after that miraculous Browns’ run last season? I wouldn’t get my hopes up for the 39-year-old.
There are others out there, but they are not as qualified for the role as the above-mentioned. The Jets need to get this one right. Rodgers said recently that he can envision himself playing as many as four more years. At age 40, the debilitating injury rate for him will be higher with each passing game.
This Monday at 11 a.m., the free agency frenzy officially opens, and the clock begins to tick on the Jets’ season. And the question lingers..could Darnold return in a backup role?
They have thoroughly invested in Rodgers, and now they have to find some suitable insurance.