Getty New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco warming up ahead of an NFL contest.
The New York Jets made a boo-boo last offseason.
They ignored the backup quarterback situation and didn’t realize their mistake until it was too late. That gaffe ended up costing them a sixth-round pick when they desperately traded for veteran Joe Flacco mid-season.
Now heading into 2022, once again the green and white are in need of a backup quarterback.
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Out With the Old, in With the New
Jets Insider Connor Hughes of The Athletic was recently answering fan mail on Twitter when he was asked whether or not the team would bring in “a veteran to help mentor” Zach Wilson this offseason?
He mentioned two options: potentially bringing Flacco back or adding Nick Foles this offseason.
The one commonality between the two veteran quarterbacks is they’re both former Super Bowl MVPs.
Flacco earned his back in 2012 capping off a brilliant postseason run winning the “Harbaugh Bowl” versus the San Francisco 49ers.
Foles took home his hardware in 2017 but took a very different path. The veteran was the backup all year long to an MVP candidate in Carson Wentz. A torn ACL in Week 14 changed the course of history and forced Foles into the starting lineup.
Not many gave him much of a chance to do anything in the playoffs, let alone go on a crazy run to win the Philadelphia Eagles their first and only Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
The Jets only have one quarterback under contract heading into next season (Wilson) and could use a backup quarterback.
A Lot of Obvious Connective Tissue
A fired up Nick Foles addressed all the trade speculation & what he’s looking for in a potential partnership if a deal happens. He later said ‘I’m a better version now than the Super Bowl MVP days’ w/ #Eagles: #Bears h/t @Zack_Pearson
Now it is very realistic that the Jets could swap one former Super Bowl MVP quarterback out for another this offseason.
Flacco is a pending free agent and there is support inside the Jets building to bring him back, we’ll see if the feeling is mutual.
While on the other side of the coin, Foles is still under contract through 2022, but he could be cut or traded ahead of the new league year in March.
The Bears have their quarterback of the present and future in Justin Fields. On top of that, they have a brand new coaching staff that is being ushered in that doesn’t have the same direct ties to Foles.
Someone who does have ties to Foles is Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas. They were in the same clubhouse with the Eagles when they achieved Super Bowl glory.
That relationship could be key in delivering the 33-year-old quarterback to the green and white in 2022.
With the Bears taking a QB, I wonder if Nick Foles ends up with the Jets as Zach Wilson’s backup/mentor. Joe Douglas has a ring on his finger thanks to Foles. Does he seek a reunion?
Last offseason the Jets completely downplayed the significance of having a veteran quarterback on the roster. Then in the middle of the season, they changed their tune and traded for Flacco.
At the state of the union address after the season, Saleh preached and pounded the table talking about the impact Flacco had in the quarterback room. Wilson is a young gunslinger that has only one year under his belt.
Having a football player and man like Foles in the quarterback room could be instrumental in a young player’s development. The veteran passer has been a backup, a hero, a scapegoat, and everything in between.
Those kinds of battle scars you can’t teach, you either have them or you don’t. It’s time for Douglas to reignite that connection from his past to make this move happen.
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