Who is Jets' backup QB? Free agent, trade options for in post-Aaron Rodgers era

The New York Jets and their fans entered Monday night's romp with the Bills dreaming of how far their team could go with its stellar defense, offensive weapons and quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center.

Despite the win, those dreams turned to nightmares all too quickly.

Just four plays into his Jets debut, Rodgers had to be helped off of the field with an injury before medical personnel eventually carted him back to the locker room.

Though the Jets first chalked up the quarterback's early departure as an ankle injury, head coach Robert Saleh said after the game that they feared it was a ruptured Achilles. Rodgers will undergo an MRI on Tuesday morning to confirm.

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Who is the Jets' backup quarterback?

After the former Packer left the game during the Jets' first drive before completing a pass, Zach Wilson stepped in and led the offense against Buffalo for the remainder of the game.

The former second overall pick completed 14 of his 21 pass attempts for 140 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

Behind Wilson, the only quarterback in the building for the Jets is practice squad quarterback Tim Boyle.

Boyle signed with the Jets in April after stints with the Packers, Lions and Bears. Notably, Boyle's tenure with the Packers overlapped with current Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's time in Green Bay as their OC.

The 28-year-old Boyle has appeared in 17 games in his career with an 0-3 record as a starter. He has a career completion rate of 62.3% to go with 574 passing yards, three touchdowns and eight interceptions.

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Free agent quarterbacks Jets could target

To remedy the bleak situation the Jets face in their quarterbacks room, they may elect to sign a free agent to take over under center. Even if they don't start immediately, they give the Jets a veteran leader behind Wilson.

Joe Flacco is one obvious answer as a player who was with the team for three seasons and as recently as last year. He started four games for the Jets in 2022, compiling a 1-3 record while completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,051 yards and five touchdown passes to three interceptions.

Carson Wentz is another former second overall pick the Jets could add to their roster. The South Dakota State product is still a free agent after the Commanders released him in February. Wentz started seven games for Washington last year, going 2-5 with a 62.3% completion rate, 1,755 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

In addition to Wentz and Flacco, Matt Ryan, Colt McCoy and Nick Foles all started multiple games last season and are available to sign as free agents. Of those five, Ryan was most successful with his 4-7-1 record in 2022.

Jets quarterback trade options

The Jets' alternative to bringing in a free agent quarterback is to trade for one.

There are several backup quarterbacks across the NFL with starting experience. Trading for one of them would provide the Jets with more experience on the depth chart.

Mitch Trubisky (Steelers), Jacoby Brissett (Commanders), Marcus Mariota (Eagles) and Taylor Heinicke (Falcons) are all players who either entered 2022 as Week 1 starters or started a majority of their teams' games last year.

Teddy Bridgewater (Lions), Andy Dalton (Panthers) and Jameis Winston (Saints) are other current backups with years of starting experience in the past.

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Aaron Rodgers trade fallout

When the Jets traded for Rodgers, they also received the Packers' first- and fifth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. In return, the Jets sent a first-, second- and sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to Green Bay, along with a conditional second-round pick in 2024.

The conditional pick had a chance to become a 2024 first-round pick should Rodgers have played in more than 65% of the Jets' offensive snaps in 2023.

If the former Packer has torn his Achilles, as the Jets fear, his 2023 season is over. He would not reach the 65% snaps threshold and the 2024 conditional second-round pick would remain a second-round pick.