GM Joe Douglas Hints Jets Will Add Veteran at Important Position This Offseason
Joe Douglas sounded like a man who prefers not to make the same mistake twice.
The New York Jets' general manager addressed reporters on locker clean-out day in Florham Park, discussing the organizational shortcomings that allowed the franchise's postseason drought to survive another year. Naturally, with the Jets starting four different quarterbacks for the second year in a row, the topic of acquiring a backup field general emerged.
Once future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers ruptured his Achilles in Week 1, the Jets had no stability behind their aging starter. Zach Wilson, who was supposed to sit and learn behind Rodgers, was immediately thrusted back into the crucible. Tim Boyle, who was essentially a practice player, was elevated to second-string duties.
"We went into the offseason with the plan of having Zach here with Aaron, it was going to be a great benefit. Zach had a great training camp, and we felt that we had a good plan in place. Obviously, things didn’t work, so hindsight’s always 20/20," said Douglas.
Needless to say, both men struggled and accentuated the glaring need for a proven insurance policy. Wilson was benched for the second year in a row, and Boyle's two starts were wildly unproductive while ultimately leading to his in-season release. Trevor Siemian, who was added via the Practice Squad after Rodgers went down, started the season's final three games. His performance was serviceable, but certainly not spectacular.
"We will put a plan in place that helps us to best succeed moving forward. I would say in terms of a veteran backup, that is a high probability," said Douglas.
The good news for Douglas is that the Jets' QB1 will retake the reins in 2024 after a successful recovery from Achilles surgery.
"Aaron’s going to be back, which is going to be positive, and it’s going to be huge," said Douglas.
Even with the greatness that he brings, relying solely on Rodgers comes with great risk at this stage of the four-time NFL MVP's career. There is clearly a need for an insurance policy behind Rodgers, who turned 40 years old in December.
As for potential options to fill the void, Tyrod Taylor and Case Keenum are two veterans with postseason experience who could draw offseason interest from the Jets.
Taylor will be an unrestricted free agent come March while Keenum has an out for the final year of the contract he signed with the Houston Texans. In 2023, Spotrac valued Taylor's salary at $5.5 million while Keenum reportedly earned $3.125 million.
"It's easy to go back and say woulda, coulda, shoulda, but what in our process was wrong? You try to take all the information you have at hand and make the best decision you can make with that information," said Douglas. "What specifically didn’t work with that process, and making sure we don’t make the same mistake twice."
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