The now-infamous "Fail Mary" from the Jets' ugly loss to the rival Dolphins on Black Friday encapsulated the franchise's miserable history when it comes to the quarterback position. Since the departure of icon Joe Namath, way back in 1976, a whopping total of 52 quarterbacks have taken the field for the Jets, and of this huge group, just five helped bring them to the playoffs. Suffice to say, it's time for the team to confront its poor decision-making by addressing the position head-on next April. Doing so shouldn't involve any shiny objects, either. Instead, they should zero in on potential diamonds in the rough.
The home beatdown on Friday gave the Jets' front office sufficient downtime to review and study stellar performances from Pac-12 quarterback prospects Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix. The Jets shouldn't be distracted by the race for top quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Instead, it'd behoove them to focus on someone further down draft boards who can offer similar upside.
Any fan who's watched five-plus minutes of a Jets game this year realizes the quarterback position isn't their only issue. While Zach Wilson and backup Tim Boyle haven't exactly burned down the house, needs along the offensive line and at receiver are more noticeable. As a result, the Jets would be better off drafting a blue-chip prospect elsewhere with their 2024 first-round pick. With an uninspiring 4-7 record, they're likely to land a top-10 pick again. Using that selection on Alabama tackle JC Latham or Washington receiver Rome Odunze would help build up the infrastructure.
While the expectation is that veteran star Aaron Rodgers plays out the twilight of his career in the Meadowlands, the Jets must start thinking about life after the soon-to-be 40-year-old. There's nothing wrong with running it back with Rodgers, but giving a rookie time to sit and learn behind him would provide a necessary redshirt season. Despite their failures with Wilson, who was taken second-overall in 2021, the Jets front office shouldn't be discouraged about this plan, as Wilson showed little in his first two season and was in an entirely different situation.
Nothing was going to fix the former BYU product in Wilson, who's thrown 25 interceptions and 21 touchdowns across 32 games in the NFL. As these two sides near a divorce, the Jets could simply hit the reset button with another inexpensive rookie contract brimming with possibilities. This is where Penix, Nix, Michigan star JJ McCarthy, and LSU stud Jayden Daniels enter the mix. All four quarterbacks offer a ton of upside and seem to have starter potential. Surely, one or more of them will be available later in the first round or early in the second round. Taking advantage of a plus-quarterback class by adding a talented signal-caller would be one way to avoid history repeating itself.
"I've got my thoughts, I've shared them with Joe [Douglas], but I'm not going to get into them here with you guys," Jets head coach Robert Saleh recently told reporters when asked if he wanted the team to draft Wilson back in 2021.
If Thanksgiving leftovers were that lukewarm, they'd need to be popped back in the microwave, just to get them back up to room temperature. The obvious disconnect can only be remedied by a do-over that involves more unification. This isn't to say the tandem of Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas has to get the selection of a quarterback right this coming spring, but they should at least take a swing on one of the second-tier guys as a developmental project. Cutting their losses this way would be easier than it would be with somebody picked higher, which means they could try again at some point down the line.
Judging by the success that late-round quarterbacks like Sam Howell, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Joshua Dobbs have achieved, it's possible to turn a less-touted draft pick into a serviceable starter. The Jets' inability to develop a viable option under center can be traced back to a lack of support, as well as a poor supporting cast. This is a narrative that won't change until the Jets prove they can right their wrongs. Going against conventional wisdom would be a winning strategy this time around.