The Jets spent all offseason preparing for Aaron Rodgers to run the offense. The team brought in weapons from Green Bay, hired his preferred offensive coordinator, and did everything they could to make the transition as seamless as possible.
As we all know, after 4 snaps, the whole plan went up in flames. Aaron Rodgers is officially out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles. Backup QB Zach Wilson came in and played admirably, leading his team to a stunning 22-16 win in overtime. However, a lot went right for the Jets in this game. They forced 4 turnovers, ran the ball extremely well, had a miracle touchdown from the superstar wide receiver, and had a punt return for a touchdown. They won’t get these things every week, which means the QB has to play better to overcome issues that arise during the game.
Can Zach Wilson do that? Or should the Jets go get a veteran QB to compete for the job? For what it’s worth, the Jets have confidence in Wilson. Head coach Robert Saleh has said the team has complete faith in him and that there isn’t going to be a QB competition. This may frustrate the fanbase, as guys like Jacoby Brissett, Taylor Heinicke, and even Kyler Murray could be available. However, Wilson spent months learning the playbook and learning from Rodgers. In fact, he’s even said that he tried modeling his game off Rodgers when Wilson was playing in high school and college. Any QB that comes in will need at least a few weeks to learn the playbook and get caught up. This doesn’t mean the Jets don’t need a real backup QB. Wilson could get hurt as he has in the past, and there’s always the chance he doesn’t perform well enough.
However, the best chance the Jets have is for Wilson to take over and do enough each week to keep the team in the game in the 4th quarter. This may sound gross to Jets fans, but it’s the best chance they have to end their historic playoff drought. This is also set up to be one of the best sports redemption stories in recent history.