The New York Jets finished up shop on yet another non-playoff season Sunday, losing to the Miami Dolphins by the score of 11-6 in another lifeless performance.
Joe Flacco started the season finale with youngster Zach Wilson once again a healthy inactive as he concluded a disastrous sophomore campaign.
By virtue of this loss, New York finished with a 7-10 record. It represented the Jets’ sixth double-digit loss season in seven years. It also comes ahead of an offseason in which there’s going to be a ton of question marks surrounding the long-downtrodden organization and its quarterback situation.
According to this note from Connor Hughes of SNY, the Jets are already looking into three potential replacements for Wilson under center. The list includes former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, veteran Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers. Per the report, these are “players the Jets feel they can win with.”
Assuming the Baltimore Ravens lock up Jackson on a long-term contract or place the franchise tag on the star quarterback, Carr and Garoppolo would be the most-obvious options. A three-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Las Vegas Raiders, Carr was benched late in the regular season. It’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll be calling another NFL city home in 2023.
As for Garoppolo, he would be an intriguing option for the New York Jets. Head coach Robert Saleh was with Garoppolo in San Francisco when the former served as its offensive coordinator. Garoppolo also worked under current Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur with the 49ers.
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This is a major backdrop to Sunday night’s report. Saleh has attemped to put lipstick on a pig by showering Wilson with support after New York benched the former No. 2 pick multiple times during the 2022 season.
“We’re not wavering. We believe in the young man. The biggest thing for Zach is, it’s not his talent. I want to make sure that we reconnect with Zach and regain his confidence and regain his confidence in himself, in us, in us in him, just all of us. Just to make sure that he is back on track — get his footwork down right, get his mechanics right, get his mind right. It’s not a talent thing for Zach. I don’t believe that. Like I said when I said, ‘reset,’ we’re going to work our tails off to help him. We’re committed to that.”
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh on Zach Wilson
Wilson’s leadership and maturity came into question following a Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots after he refused to take responsbility for the defeat. He was immediately benched and didn’t see the field again until Week 15.
For good reason. We’re talking about a young quarterback who has defined disasterclass since New York made him the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
- Zach Wilson stats (2021-22): 55% completion, 4,022 yards, 15 TD, 18 INT, 70.9 QB rating
While it would be odd for a team to move off a quarterback as young as Wilson after two seasons, it’s clear New York is looking to go in another direction.
Of the three options mentioned above, Garoppolo might make the most sense. He enjoyed success with Saleh and LaFleur in San Francisco. The Super Bowl quarterback is also slated to become a free agent, meaning that he wouldn’t cost anything in a trade. In fact, he could end up acting as a veteran mentor to Wilson in 2023.