Jets Predicted To Sign Former No. 2 Pick, Pro Bowler To Compete For Starting QB Job

This would be a pretty far-fetched reclamation project

Aug 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets helmet on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Jets aren't likely to solve their current quarterback conundrum overnight.

Following the release of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, the Jets currently have 35-year-old Tyrod Taylor penciled in at the top of their depth chart. And with the number-seven pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, it's not likely a quarterback prospect the Jets feel comfortable with falls in their lap.

One-year stopgaps might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but sometimes a team has no choice. And unless the Jets can pull off some sort of miraculous trade to move up the draft order, it seems as though bringing in another veteran to compete with Taylor might be their only move.

Even with that context, one NFL writer's prediction for the quarterback the Jets will eventually end up signing could be shocking to some.

On Thursday, Mike Jones of The Athletic predicted that the Jets would sign Carson Wentz, the former number-two overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and Pro Bowler/Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, as a contender for their starting gig alongside Taylor.

"The Jets have Tyrod Taylor still under contract, but look for them to bring in another midlevel veteran for competition given that they seem unlikely to have a shot at drafting a top-flight quarterback," Jones wrote. "Wentz spent last season behind Patrick Mahomes and while not a franchise savior, he could compete for bridge duty."

Wentz. 32, was last a full-time starter in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts. He has started just two games since the start of the 2023 season while serving as the primary backup for the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.

Overall, Wentz's career stats include a 47-46-1 record as a starter, an 89.3 passer rating, 153 touchdowns, and 67 interceptions. It's been mostly downhill since 2017, when he finished third in Most Valuable Player voting but suffered a torn ACL that held him out of the Eagles' magical playoff run.

Is there any magic left for Wentz to recapture? The Jets might be happy to take that risk, knowing that an awful record next season would at least give them a better shot at drafting their next franchise QB.

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