Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh watching practice during the summer.
The New York Jets are in desperate need of a true QB1.
One quarterback that is set to become available this offseason that could fit the bill is Los Angeles Rams veteran Baker Mayfield. He is in the last year of his $32 million rookie contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in March.
Jake Ellenbogen covers the Rams for a living and tweeted that he could see a match made in heaven:
“Funny enough I kind of could see Baker Mayfield with the Jets.”
A Chance for the Jets to Turn Back the Clock With Baker Mayfield
Ahead of the 2018 NFL draft, the Jets held the No. 3 overall pick after a proactive trade with the Indianapolis Colts the month before.
With Sam Darnold expected to be the No. 1 pick, the Jets had their eyes set on taking Mayfield. The Cleveland Browns ended up surprising everyone by taking Mayfield instead and we know how all that turned out.
Now with the former No. 1 overall pick heading towards free agency, the Jets will have their chance to bring him to New York.
In five seasons in the NFL Mayfield has put up some insane production:
- 16,009 passing yards
- 102 touchdowns to 63 interceptions
- 61.5 percent completion percentage
According to Spotrac’s market value projections, Mayfield is expected to land a two-year deal for just over $13 million in free agency. That $6.5 million annual salary would rank 28th among quarterbacks in the NFL.
This would be a cost-effective way at the very least to add competition to the quarterback room. If Mayfield wins the starting job outright you would have great value at the game’s most important position.
Baker Mayfield Would Bring Right Moxie to New York
The Jets have been bad for the better part of a decade. This season proved they are on the verge of breaking out and becoming a team that other people are going to have to start taking seriously.
The quarterback position has been a mess and the team needs a leader that can bring some swag. Mayfield was the perfect quarterback at the perfect time for Cleveland. He gave them an injection of life and people started to believe again.
Mayfield can have that same impact on the Jets.
This roster is loaded with young bubbling talent and they need a passer that is capable of maximizing it.
Mayfield isn’t a perfect player by any means, but the Jets don’t need perfect at quarterback, they need competent.
The former Oklahoma star has proven that when he has talent around him he can win games, provide production, and make plays.
Back on December 28 one Twitter user emphatically stated that the Jets would be in the playoffs if they would’ve had a “full season” of Mayfield at quarterback.
The #Jets would be in the playoffs with a full season of Baker Mayfield as their QB
While that may or may not be true, time travel hasn’t been invented yet so that is purely hypothetical. If you look ahead to next season, a healthy and inspired Mayfield could certainly put the Jets on the playoff path in 2023 and maybe even beyond.