The New York Jets have a major problem at the quarterback position. They had hoped that Aaron Rodgers would solve all of their troubles under center, but the future Hall of Famer lasted only four plays before tearing his left Achilles.
It was a nightmare scenario for the Jets, who turned back to Zach Wilson as his replacement. Despite head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas expressing confidence that Wilson has improved this offseason, that has not been the case.
Just as the first two seasons in the NFL, Wilson has struggled mightily. The No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft does not look like an NFL-caliber quarterback as he struggles in every facet of the game.
With frustrations mounting in the locker room, something has to give sooner or later. Players know they cannot succeed with Wilson under center, yet the brain trust keeps trotting him out there with zero competition for the position.
If the Jets want to have any hope of turning their season around, they have to go out and acquire a veteran quarterback who can elevate the level of the offense. In the opinion of Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, a realistic trade target is Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans.
“The most realistic starting quarterback right now in the NFL that could make some sense if the Jets are able to win a couple of games is probably in Tennessee with Ryan Tannehill. [The Titans are] 1-2 on the year, Ryan Tannehill has not been that impressive to say the least, and his former offensive coordinator Todd Downing is actually on that Jets staff as a passing game coordinator — they do have a relationship there,” said Meirov. (H/T Heavy.com)
Quite literally anyone would be an upgrade over Wilson right now as the only quarterback who has performed at a lower level over the last 10 years is Josh Rosen. There are backups around the NFL who would find more success than the Jets right now as Wilson plays well below even replacement level.
Tannehill would be a huge get for the Jets as he has proven he can lead a team to the playoffs. It was only two seasons ago the Titans were the No. 1 seed in the AFC with Tannehill at the helm.
Given the strength of the Jets’ roster, having Tannehill would push them back toward being contenders. At the very least, he would help push them toward a playoff spot once again.
