Are the Jets setting up Zach Wilson for success at the quarterback position? Longtime NFL columnist Peter King isn't so sure.
King, writing in his weekly column, "Football Morning in America," says he's surprised the Jets didn't add a veteran QB to back up Wilson, in the event he suffers an injury or struggles early on.
"It continues to bother me that the Jets don’t have a veteran backup for Wilson," King writes. "The pressure on him in New York is going to be immense, and who’s going to be his Josh McCown/Nick Foles to help him get through those moments?"
A glance at the Jets' unofficial depth chart indicates PK has a point. Josh Johnson is Gang Green's sole reserve signal-caller to have previously taken a snap in an NFL game. The 35-year-old Johnson last saw action in a regular-season game in 2018 with Washington. Prior to that, he hadn't attempted a pass since 2011 with the Bucs.
Elsewhere on the QB depth chart, Mike White has yet to appear in an NFL game after he was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round in 2018. Ditto 2020 fourth-rounder James Morgan, whom the Jets selected out of Florida International.
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The lack of competition for Wilson would seem to indicate the Jets have supreme confidence in the No. 2 overall selection. But, as King notes, rookie struggles are hardly the exception, even taking into consideration success enjoyed by a few early-round picks in recent years.
King sees Foles, currently with the Bears, as a particularly strong fit, even if the Jets have to overpay to secure his services.
"With the Colts unlikely to go after Foles now that Carson Wentz’s foot injury seems short-term, the wise Foles is the best guy for GM Joe Douglas to target, even at an inflated backup price."
While the journeyman Foles isn't necessarily the most exciting name out there, he does have a Pro Bowl nod and Super Bowl MVP to his credit. And, as King notes in his column, Foles' leadership and experience could prove beneficial to a young player like Wilson as he learns the ropes under a relatively young, inexperienced coaching staff led by first-time head coach Robert Saleh and 34-year-old offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.
"The Jets ... need to support [Wilson] with as many resources as possible," King says. "With the tragic death of passing game coordinator Greg Knapp, the mentor who could have been so crucial to Wilson is gone. And with no veteran backup there (the way Josh McCown has been there for so many young QBs, and the way Nick Foles was there in Philly and Chicago), Wilson is losing out on two important sounding boards and educators. It’s absolutely not the way I would want to go."
While Foles could be an ideal fit for the Jets, it's not clear he'd want to play for them. He has previously expressed his desire to join a team where he's comfortable and familiar with the coaching staffs, and has suggested he turned down trade opportunities that he didn't see as the right fit, despite not having a no-trade clause.
Foles signed with the Bears on a three-year, $24M deal prior to last season.
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