Getty Former Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers having some pre-game discussions with another NFL player.
The New York Jets landed the quarterback of its dreams when they completed a trade for Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.
However, before they pulled the trigger on that deal they explored an array of other options. One of those included Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford according to Connor Hughes of SNY.
It was an exhaustive process that included all of the Jets’ key decision makers and all in all they evaluated 19 different QB options for the 2023 season, per Hughes.
Stafford was one of the top passers featured on their list. However, Stafford was eliminated from contention when the Rams “recommitted” to him and thus removed him as an option for the Jets.
Jets Might Have Dodged a Matthew Stafford Sized Bullet
Stafford is 35 years of age and is in the middle of a $160 million contract with the Rams.
Early in his career with the Detroit Lions, the former Georgia product couldn’t stay healthy. He missed 19 games across his first two seasons.
Then for the next eight years, he didn’t miss a single game. Recently though the injury bug came back to bite.
Last season Stafford missed eight games for a variety of different ailments. He had offseason elbow surgery, suffered multiple concussions, and the final nail in the coffin on his season was a spinal cord contusion.
All of those injuries raised some serious retirement concerns this offseason. The Rams themselves were coming off of a terrible season and finished with a 5-12 record. It was the worst season by a Rams team since 2016 (prior to the Sean McVay era).
With all of that in the balance, it was extremely fair to ponder how much gas Stafford had and has left in the tank moving forward. Ultimately the Jets landed Rodgers and the Stafford flirtations didn’t matter, but it’s an interesting thing to wonder about.
3 QBs Were in Super Bowl Conversation for Jets
The Jets studied 19 different quarterback options this offseason, but only three of them were considered in a top-level tier.
Connor Hughes of SNY said the Jets ranked and separated all of them into three separate tiers. The highest of which was labeled “players who would have the Jets competing for a Super Bowl.”
That list included Aaron Rodgers, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, and Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
All of the other quarterbacks the Jets considered were thrown into two separate tiered categories, per Hughes.
Players who would have the Jets in the playoffs. Or the lowest level, players who would make the Jets slightly better, but not closer to their ultimate goal.
Gang Green nearly made the playoffs in 2022 in spite of its quarterback play. The plan in 2023 is for the quarterback position to be one of the main reasons the Jets are in that position.
The Jets may not have landed Jackson or Stafford, but they landed one of the most decorated quarterbacks in NFL history. That alone should give them a shot to accomplish all of its goals in 2023 and maybe even beyond.