Getty NFL quarterback Trevor Siemian with the New York Jets in 2019.
The New York Jets currently have Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle as the main two backup options behind Aaron Rodgers heading into the 2023 summer program, but they didn’t really prioritize the role in free agency with the future Hall of Famer coming in.
On that note, a former NYJ “clipboard holder” just signed on as veteran quarterback insurance for an AFC Super Bowl contender on May 3. The 33rd Team’s NFL insider Ari Meirov relayed the news, tweeting: “The [Cincinnati] Bengals have signed veteran QB Trevor Siemian to a 1-year contract.”
The #Bengals have signed veteran QB Trevor Siemian to a 1-year contract.
Siemian will join a Bengals quarterback room that features 2022 MVP finalist Joe Burrow and second-year passer Jake Browning. If Burrow were to suffer an injury, the eight-year NFL journeyman would likely be the next man up for Cincy given Browning’s lack of experience.
Brutal Injury Cut Short Trevor Siemian’s Time With Jets
Siemian has made a name for himself as a respected backup QB since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2015. The seventh-round selection was given a starting opportunity with the Broncos from 2016 through 2017, but his 13-11 record and 59% completion rate left a lot to be desired.
From there, Siemian was traded to the Minnesota Vikings before signing with the Jets in free agency the following offseason. Under the Adam Gase regime, the veteran was supposed to be a reliable signal-caller behind Sam Darnold — but fate had other plans.
After Darnold was sidelined with mononucleosis and an enlarged spleen, Siemian was called upon to start on Monday Night Football in Week 2. Unfortunately, just six pass attempts in, he suffered a horrific ankle injury on a late hit by Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett.
Siemian was later ruled out for the remainder of the 2019 season with torn ligaments in his ankle, and the Jets were forced to roll with third stringer Luke Falk until Darnold returned.
Like the majority of Gase’s tenure in New York, Siemian’s time with the Jets was disastrous. He has since rebooted his career as a backup with stops in Tennessee, New Orleans and Chicago. The results have not been great, however, as Siemian has not won a game he’s started for any organization since 2017.
Ex-Jets’ Neville Hewitt & Eric Tomlinson Sign New Contracts With Texans
Around the NFL, two more ex-Jets inked new deals this week, and both came with the Houston Texans.
Former blocking tight end Eric Tomlinson was the first, signing on May 3 like Siemian. The Texans social media team announced the transaction.
We have signed Eric Tomlinson.
The Jets provided Tomlinson with his first NFL opportunity during a regular season game in 2016, although the former undrafted free agent bounced around a few franchises before that. All told, he appeared in 36 games as a Jet from 2016 through 2018, starting 29 of them.
Tomlinson was never much of a receiving threat, operating as more of a fullback/tight end hybrid, but he did accumulate 193 yards through the air over that three-year span, with one touchdown and seven first downs.
Linebacker Neville Hewitt had more of an impact with the Jets, breaking out with 209 total tackles over 28 starts from 2019 through 2020. He earned an opportunity with the Texans after his big 2020 campaign but has failed to recapture that magic since — starting just five games over two seasons.
Despite that, Hewitt re-signed with Houston on May 4 according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. The financial details are unknown at the time, although Schefter did report a one-year deal. The veteran linebacker should serve as reliable depth with a steady role on special teams under new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans.
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