For the first time in a long time, the New York Jets don’t have questions to answer at the quarterback position.
Aaron Rodgers has been everything the team had hoped for through the first three games of the 2024 campaign. He has bounced back from a 2023 season that ended after four offensive plays, getting more and more comfortable on the field with every snap.
Alas, Jets management and Rodgers are not naive. They know this isn’t going to be a long-term partnership, as the future Hall of Famer will be turning 41 years old on December 2nd.
They will ride this wave for as long as possible, but they know their time together is limited.
While all of the focus is on the here and now, hopefully challenging for a Super Bowl, people within the organization are actively working on contingency plans. Currently, there are no real viable ones for life after Rodgers.
New York did select Florida State Seminoles star Jordan Travis in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft as a developmental prospect. He is essentially redshirting this season after suffering a devastating knee injury near the end of the 2023 campaign.
Will he be the long-term answer behind Rodgers? There is some to like about his long-term outlook, but he is considered a somewhat limited prospect.
If the Jets want to make a splash and potentially find a long-term plan post-Rodgers, they should call the Carolina Panthers and see what it would take to acquire quarterback Bryce Young.
The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft has been benched after starting only 18 games in his professional career. Head coach Dave Canales has made the change, opting to go with veteran Andy Dalton as things are already slipping away.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, several teams have contacted the Panthers already expressing an interest in acquiring the Alabama Crimson Tide product. However, those overtures have been turned away.
Some have made contact, while others contemplate if making a run at Young would make sense for their franchise.
While Carolina is saying they won’t trade the embattled youngster, sources who spoke to Schefter believe that is not the case. It is a matter of when, not if, he will be on the move.
It would make sense for New York to get in on the Young trade talks.
They would present a great landing spot for him. He would be afforded the chance to develop without the pressure of carrying a franchise. With Tyrod Taylor locked in as the No. 2, Young would be the emergency No. 3 quarterback, at best, to start.
Having a chance to learn from players of that caliber would be great for a player with his level of talent but shaken confidence. The supporting cast that the Jets have put together is also elite and on the same timeline as Young.
Wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall are both in Year 3 of their careers. Alijah Vera-Tucker, Joe Tippmann and Olu Fashanu are legitimate building blocks in the trenches along the offensive line.
With Rodgers healthy and running the show, adding a player of Young’s caliber as a long-term contingency plan would be a huge win for the franchise. So many assets have been dumped into the team to ensure the best chance of competing with their star quarterback.
It is time to ensure any positives achieved during the Rodgers era can be carried beyond when it comes to an end.
