The New York Jets picked up a huge victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football to kick off their season. However, in many ways, it still felt like a loss for the team. On only his fourth play as the Jets quarterback, Aaron Rodgers suffered a serious injury.
The Jets feared it was an Achilles injury during the game, but no official word has been given. Jets head coach Robert Saleh said that an MRI could be done but will probably confirm what they think it is, and that it is not good.
That is a brutal blow for New York, as their standing as a contender drastically changes without Rodgers in the fold. They acquired him because they felt quarterback was the only thing missing for the team to make a run at a Super Bowl title. Now, he is likely lost for the season.
Saleh said that the Jets would turn back to Zach Wilson as their starter. He had his moments against the Bills but is certainly not someone the fan base or organization has much confidence in. If they did, they wouldn’t have acquired Rodgers to replace him.
New York could now be looking for another quarterback to add to the roster to compete with Wilson for the starting spot or be his backup. A former NFL executive who spoke to NFL Analysis Network believes that the Jets should consider making a trade for Jameis Winston to fill the void on their depth chart.
“Another guy New York could take a look at on the trade market is Jameis Winston. He hasn’t had a role with the Saints, but has looked very good in limited time in New Orleans. With the weapons he would have with the Jets, Winston could make a ton of sense on a cheap price.”
Winston has battled injuries the last few seasons as well. Handpicked as the successor to Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints, he looked good as the starter in 2021 before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
In 2022, he got his job back but injuries derailed him again. He was taken out of the lineup to recuperate but when healthy remained on the bench, ceding the starting job to Andy Dalton. Currently, he is the backup to Derek Carr, whom the Saints signed in free agency.
Winston would certainly raise the ceiling for the Jets as he has a more accomplished track record than Wilson does. Alas, Wilson has been here all offseason and is entering his third year with the team. It would take a lot for Winston to come in, learn the offense and supplant him as the starter. But, the Jets don’t currently have a third quarterback on their 53-man roster and Winston is a stronger option than Tim Boyle on the practice squad.
