Getty Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew reacting after an NFL game.
Rich Cimini of ESPN said if the New York Jets trade Zach Wilson they can use the cap savings to “invest that money in a proven backup” quarterback.
He name-dropped veteran passer Gardner Minshew as an “option” for the green and white during the upcoming 2024 offseason.
Minshew, 27, signed a one-year deal for $3.5 million this past offseason to join the Indianapolis Colts.
Minshew Is a Proven Legitimate Option at Backup QB
The former Washington State product has become a cult hero among NFL fans.
He has a unique personality, one-of-a-kind facial hair, and proven results on the football field. Minshew entered the league as the No. 178 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft.
During that span of time he has appeared in 46 games and has made 34 starts. Minshew was supposed to serve as QB2 for talented rookie Anthony Richardson. However, injuries forced him into the starting lineup.
Minshew has completed 62.9% of his passes, for 9,371 passing yards, and owns a 58-touchdown-to-23 interception ratio during his five-year career to date. He is 14-20 as a starting quarterback and this season sports a 6-4 record as the lead guy for the Colts.
He has played for three different NFL franchises since joining the league. In each of those five years, Minshew has started in at least two games every single season.
Jets Have to Open the Checkbook for QB2 in 2024
Minshew signed a discount deal to join the Colts in 2023. He is the No. 43 highest-paid QB in football this season, per Over The Cap.
Although he is due for a pay raise in 2024.
Spotrac’s market value projections believe Minshew will receive a two-year deal for $10.2 million. That $5.1 million projected annual salary would make him the No. 32 highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
Rich Cimini of ESPN also believes we will see an uptick in backup quarterback salaries this upcoming offseason.
“The backup quarterback market figures to be robust in the offseason, considering the rash of injuries,” Cimini explained. “If the Jets move on from Wilson, 24, they will need to secure a viable insurance policy. And that won’t be cheap.”
50% of the league has started multiple quarterbacks during the 2023 season, per Cimini. The Jets are heavily involved in that disturbing statistic for both injury and inconsistency-related issues.
Gang Green can’t afford to go into the 2024 season with the same exact quarterback room. It would be way too risky considering what has transpired this year.
The Jets have trotted out a championship-level defense and have had an elite special teams unit throughout the season. However, they have been held back by inconsistent quarterback play since Aaron Rodgers blew out his Achilles.
New York refused to add a proven veteran backup in the offseason. Instead, they relied upon and hoped Rodgers would stay healthy and Zach Wilson could learn from the bench. Neither of those things happened.
Who knows what the Jets’ record would look like in 2023 if they had a legitimate backup quarterback to turn to following Rodgers’ devastating injury in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.