The New York Jets have been either pedestrian or outright rough at the quarterback position for the better part of two decades, which made the news of QB Justin Fields being carted off the football field with a lower leg injury an even tougher pill to swallow for Jets’ fans on Thursday.
This prompted one NFL writer to urge the Jets to pursue the best quarterback available via trade to act as an insurance policy for Fields entering the 2025 NFL season.
Jets Urged to Trade for Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
Nick Brinkerhoff of USA Today didn’t take very long to produce a list of potential replacement options after Justin Fields sustained a leg injury on Thursday. He quickly named Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins the best available option at the position and suggested the Jets could consider trading for him ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Brinkerhoff wrote, “There could be some bad blood between Cousins and the Jets, even though the old front office and coaching staff are no longer employed by the team. It’s unclear whether they would actually pursue this option, but Cousins is the best quarterback that could be available via trade.”
Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler who has thrown 42,979 yards and 288 touchdowns over his NFL career. Since he is currently behind Michael Penix Jr. on the Falcons’ depth chart, it would make sense that Cousins would be available via trade at the moment.
Yet, the Jets could be hesitant to trade for a veteran QB with a pricey contract after signing Fields to a market value deal in free agency earlier this calendar year.
Brinkerhoff added, “There’s a lot of money on the table for the guy that just signed with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason, however, and pressing this button may be a bit premature.”
Despite Cousins impressive career resume, he is coming off of arguably the worst year of his career with just 18 touchdown passes to go with 16 interceptions over his 14 games played last year in Atlanta.
Since Cousins never truly looked right last season, which was his first action under center since tearing his Achilles back in 2023, trading for a veteran signal caller who showed signs of declining production may not be the ideal fit for the organization.
Other Potential QB Options for the Jets for 2025
When it comes to QBs who could be potential replacement options for the Jets at quarterback if Fields’ injury turns out to be serious, Cousins isn’t the only option the organization could choose to pursue.
Brinkerhoff mentioned Carson Wentz when he wrote, “The best of the free agent quarterback options, Wentz is far removed from his days of being an MVP candidate with the Philadelphia Eagles. While he didn’t play in the New York market, he is familiar with the region thanks to his time with the Birds and comes with plenty of starting experience. Serving as the backup for Patrick Mahomes in 2024 is an added bonus and maybe he can recapture the magic that made him a tantalizing talent early in his career.”
Ultimately, the Jets could be just fine going with veteran QB Tyrod Taylor under center — who is already on the team — but it is not outside of the range of outcomes for New York to bring in another quarterback if Fields’ injury does put him on the shelf for an extended period of time.
Jets Urged to Pursue ‘Best’ QB Available After Justin Fields Injury