Getty New York Jets QB Zach Wilson reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
It might be time for the New York Jets to add some experience to the quarterback room this offseason.
NFL Insider Josina Anderson of CBS Sports aggressively urged Gang Green to replace Zach Wilson as the backup passer heading into 2023.
“If Aaron Rodgers goes down, God forbid, that brings me to the backup discussion,” Anderson exclaimed on The Crew podcast posted on Friday, March 24. “The last time I saw Zach Wilson he looked like a deer in headlights. Cam Newton who just had his workout at Auburn, I feel that I would rather have people who I feel like can show me more mental fortitude during adversity.”
Veteran QB2 Could Provide Solid Insurance for Future Jets QB Aaron Rodgers
Head coach Robert Saleh spoke at the NFL’s annual league meetings and emphatically declared Wilson as his QB2 for the 2023 season on Monday, March 27.
“As of now for sure [Wilson will be QB2]. Let me make sure I rephrase that because as of now I know is going to be the headline. He is our No. 2.”
Saleh went on to wax poetic about the kind of work ethic that Wilson possesses and said, “we’re counting on him to be a fixture here for a while.”
That means if and when the Jets acquire Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, the team will only be one hit away from throwing Wilson back out to the wolves.
Anderson said that the Jets’ “a** is out” with Wilson as the QB2.
“Why are you waiting to address it? Cover your a** now!”
She revealed on the podcast that she had a recent conversation with someone about the possibility of Newton going to the Jets as QB2.
“The only pushback that I’ve heard is that the two personalities might not jive in a locker room in Florham Park with Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers. I pushed back on that and I feel like Cam’s in a completely different place in his life.”
She argued that some of the key playmakers on offense “would feel better” in terms of their confidence in a guy like Cam Newton if he was forced into the lineup due to injury versus Zach Wilson.
The former No. 1 overall pick has a proven track record of success. He took his old Carolina Panthers team to the Super Bowl. He is a former Heisman trophy winner.
Newton statistically is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of all time. While he might not be the same player that he used to be, Anderson argued on her show that he would be a significant upgrade over what Wilson brings to the table.
The Jets Are F***** if Aaron Rodgers Goes Down
Brian Costello of the New York Post also joined Anderson on The Crew podcast and told a perfect story to encapsulate a potential quarterback injury for the Jets in 2023.
“Can I swear on here Josina? Ron Jaworski had this story [where] he went to a Colts practice when Peyton Manning was the quarterback. I think he was doing Monday Night Football and he was watching practice and he noticed Peyton took every snap during that practice. The backup quarterback did nothing. So he said to Tom Moore, the old offensive coordinator for the Colts, why don’t you give the backup quarterback any snaps? Tom Moore looked at him and said if Peyton gets hurt we are f*****. We don’t practice f*****. That has always stuck with me.”
Costello said that he gets it that there are “better backup quarterbacks” than Wilson but also said, “they’re backup quarterbacks for a reason too.”
There is a case to be made that the Jets are a Super Bowl contender if they add Rodgers to the lineup.
New York Jets > Kansas City Chiefs?
“The New York Jets are now the favorite to win the Super Bowl!” — @craigcartonlive
However, if Rodgers was out for a significant chunk of time or God forbid the entire season, there isn’t a backup quarterback on the planet that could replace him and sustain the same level of expectations for the 2023 campaign.