Jets Encouraged to Monitor ‘True Gunslinger’ as Aaron Rodgers Successor

Getty The Jets could replace Aaron Rodgers with Quinn Ewers as a long-term successor.

The New York Jets need to start thinking about life after Aaron Rodgers, and one quarterback the team is being encouraged to monitor is Quinn Ewers ahead of the 2025 draft.

Trevor Sikkema with Pro Football Focus detailed one 2025 prospect that each NFL team should monitor this season. For the Jets, Sikkema explained why they should be keeping a close eye on Ewers as a potential Rodgers successor.

“[The Jets] could go all-in on the winning window, but they would be wise to keep their eyes on the 2025 quarterback class since they might not have to spend an early first-round pick to draft a player with good potential,” Sikkema wrote. “Ewers is a true gunslinger with a ton of arm talent. While his consistency isn’t at an NFL level right now, it could be by the time Rodgers retires.”

It’s unclear how much longer Rodgers will play. Regardless, the Jets would be wise to figure out who his successor will be at quarterback.

Quinn Ewers Could Be a First-Round Pick

Expectations have been high for Ewers for a long time. Now, he’s a season away from establishing himself as a first-round pick.

Ewers was a 5-star recruit and the top-ranked player in the country back in 2021. Although he originally enrolled at Ohio State, he transferred to Texas after just one season.

The transfer allowed Ewers to show what he could do as the Longhorns starter. In two seasons, he’s completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 5,656 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

Ewers is an interesting draft evaluation. He’s not the biggest quarterback at 6-foot-2, but he has tons of arm talent. Not only is he capable of throwing from multiple arm angles, but he also does a very good job of throwing with anticipation, giving his receivers maximum separation at their route stem to make a play.

That doesn’t mean that Ewers is a perfect prospect. He struggles with off-script decision making at time, and there are questions about how much he benefits from the talent around him rather than his ability to elevate his teammates.

Getting drafted by a team like the Jets, with an opportunity to learn behind Rodgers for a season or two, could do Ewers a lot of good at the NFL level.

Latest on Aaron Rodgers

It might be a bit early to talk about successors for Rodgers, especially since he has only played four snaps in a Jets uniform.

Fortunately, it looks like Rodgers is healthy and ready to go. The veteran quarterback is a full participant during offseason practices despite tearing his Achilles less than a year ago.

Most of the news around Rodgers has involved events off of the field. The Jets quarterback was marked as unexcused during mandatory minicamp. It was eventually revealed that Rodgers had missed the practices due to a planned trip to Egypt.

Despite speculation, Jets head coach Robert Saleh made sure to let everyone know that there are no issues with Rodgers’ absence. It seems that everyone’s focus is on training camp in just a few weeks, as the team attempts to make a Super Bowl run in 2024.