Which Quarterback Will the New York Jets Acquire this Offseason? Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo? Fantasy Football Outlook

The New York Jets need a quarterback as much as Beyonce fans need money to buy tickets for her upcoming world tour. Supposed franchise quarterback Zach Wilson is not the answer. Average-talent folk hero Mike White is not the answer, either. Joe Namath cannot step into a Fountain of Youth and come out as the man in his football prime who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl.

The Jets do not need a Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen to get them into the playoffs next season. Thanks to a running attack that is above-average when top tailback Breece Hall and the offensive line is healthy, and a top-10 defense that is loaded with playmakers like cover corner Sauce Gardner, an average quarterback who does not turn the ball over would be enough to make the Jets a playoff-caliber team.

So who will be the New York Jets quarterback in 2023? Here are three of the top candidates and the chances they will be the starting signal caller for “Gang Green” next season:

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Derek Carr

Carr was unceremoniously benched by the Las Vegas Raiders towards the end of the 2022 campaign after being their quarterback for the past nine seasons. We all know Carr is not an All-Pro and has only thrown for more than 30 touchdowns once in his career. We also know that at worst he is average and at best he can play at an above-average level when he is at his best, especially when his supporting cast is solid, if not spectacular.

Las Vegas wants to trade Carr and move on with someone else under center. There will be several teams willing to trade a couple draft choices for Carr’s services, but the Raiders would be wise to send him to an NFC team and not a team within the conference like the Jets. Unless the Jets blow the Raiders away with a blockbuster package, look for the Raiders to deal Carr elsewhere. And who knows if the Jets really want Carr anyway considering he has had several high-profile flops in cold-weather contests and crucial home games at MetLife stadium in December will be frigid.

Chances Carr is the Jets starting QB in 2023:  15%

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers’ $50 million price tag for 2023 and his diminished performance in 2022 are two things heavily going against him becoming the Jets QB. Another is that the Jets would probably have to trade a ransom worth of picks and players to acquire Rodgers since he is the property of the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers threw double-digit interceptions last season for the first time since 2010. There is also just as good of a chance that he retires than he gets traded to the Jets. Could Rodgers guide the Jets to the Super Bowl? Of course. Even if he played the way he did in 2022, that version of Rodgers is all the Jets need to make the playoffs and advance to “The Big Game” because of their depth and talent at all the other positions. But while this all sounds wonderful on paper, the fact is the Jets will probably refuse to make all the salary-cap machinations and trade away all the draft picks and young players necessary to land the 39-yard old Rodgers.

Chances Rodgers is the Jets starting QB in 2023:  20%

Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy G. might not have the skills of Mahomes, Allen, Rodgers, or any of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL, but he has shown that he can lead a team to the Super Bowl that relies on the run and has a staunch defense. When he was healthy enough to suit up, Garoppolo played well enough to win games with the San Francisco 49ers, thanks in part because the talent around him on both sides of the ball was so great. The man is the classic definition of a game manager. Garoppolo can win games when his teammates put him in position to win, but he does not have the talent to win games on his own like the upper-echelon quarterbacks can.

Garoppolo and the 49ers will finally part this season, a divorce years in the making. Unlike Carr and Rodgers, who are under contract with their current teams and need to be traded for, Garoppolo is a free agent and can sign with anyone he wants. In this quarterback-starved market, an organization will overpay for the injury-prone Garoppolo. That organization could be the Jets if they would prefer not to part with picks and players and just throw money at their problem. They do not need Jimmy G. to be Peyton Manning. If he can be the second coming of Ken O’ Brien, that would likely be enough for the Jets.

Chances Garoppolo is the Jets starting QB in 2023:  40%

So Garoppolo is my favorite to be running the New York Jets offense in 2023, but do not be surprised if other scenarios pop up, such as the Jets cannot pull the trigger on any trade and have another season with White and Wilson as the QBs and they pray one of them is good enough to not flush their season down the toilet again. A reunion with Sam Darnold? A reunion with Geno Smith? Nothing is out of the realm of possibility, but if I had to choose one guy to be the one throwing to Garrett Wilson, Tyler Conklin and Co., it is Garoppolo.

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