From the outskirts of Morris County, N.J., to the tip of Long Island, there was a lot of excitement about the New York Jets coming into this season. They had traded for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and signed four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, and they had a number of talented players on both sides of the football to provide support.

But all that excitement and anticipation fell with a thud into the Hudson River when Rodgers tore his Achilles on the Jets’ first offensive series of the season. Suddenly, it became clear the long-suffering franchise would have to struggle simply to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

Zach Wilson, now in his third season, took over under center, and most feel New York isn’t going anywhere with him at the controls. There has been speculation it may bring in another QB, which even led to rumors that Tom Brady may come out of retirement to save the day (he won’t).

With a defense that has the ability to be stingy, arguably the best running back room in the NFL and a gifted young wide receiver in Garrett Wilson, the Jets may be best served swinging hard to acquire a competent QB instead of taking their latest dose of bad fortune on the chin.

With the Minnesota Vikings struggling to the tune of an 0-2 start, there are rumors that their QB Kyle Cousins could be had for the right package.

Could one of these two packages tickle Minnesota’s throat enough to get it to say yes to sending Cousins to New York?

Proposed trade No. 1:

Jets Receive: Kirk Cousins

Vikings Receive: 2024 Third-Round Pick, 2024 Sixth-Round Pick

Proposed trade No. 2:

Jets Receive: Kirk Cousins, 2024 Seventh-Round Pick

Vikings Receive: Zach Wilson, 2024 Fifth-Round Pick

Cousins is in the last year of his contract, and the Vikings are young enough that they could take back some draft capital for him and retool around Justin Jefferson. If they also take back Zach Wilson, he would be in an environment where there would be little pressure on him to perform well. He would also be playing in a relatively small market, which would perhaps feel like a vacation compared to the Tri-state area in terms of media scrutiny.

Cousins may not be an elite quarterback, but he is a very capable one who was named to the Pro Bowl in both of the last two seasons and four times in total. He could help Garrett Wilson reach new heights of success while resurrecting the hope that the Jets can not only make the playoffs but also make some noise there.

The question is what would happen after this season. Would the Jets want to keep Cousins around afterward, especially if Rodgers won’t be ready to return for the start of the 2024 campaign? If so, what would they do with him once Rodgers takes the field again?

If Cousins would be just a one-year rental, would the Jets be willing to get rid of one or two draft picks for such a rental? Would it be a worthwhile price, especially given that their chances of winning the Super Bowl may still not be great?

While Rodgers is 39 years of age, keep in mind Kirk Cousins isn’t much younger at 35.