Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew among potential Jets’ backup QB targets

The biggest story of the Jets’ offseason last year was who they were going to land to be their starting quarterback.

One of the biggest this year is going to be who they find to back him up.

The Jets pulled off a trade for Aaron Rodgers last year after weeks of pursuit.

The move to add Rodgers did not mean much for the 2023 season after he tore his left Achilles four plays into the season.

After losing Rodgers for the season in Week 1, the Jets’ backup quarterback plan came under plenty of scrutiny and drew criticism.

General manager Joe Douglas was criticized for having Zach Wilson as the No. 2 quarterback and not signing a more experienced backup either last offseason or after Rodgers went down.

The Jets ended up using three different starting quarterbacks after Rodgers was injured — Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian. None were impressive, and the Jets finished 7-10 despite having a top-rated defense and special teams unit. Quarterback play undermined them and the Jets know they can’t let that happen again.

As the Jets go over what they need to add in 2024, a veteran backup quarterback will be near the top of the list.

“We are going to get in the meeting room and go over exactly what we need to add to this team,” Douglas said the day after the season ended. “I am sure that is going to be one of the topics that is discussed. 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.”

The Jets hope that Rodgers can play 17 games next season and lead them to the playoffs. But Rodgers is 40 years old and coming off an Achilles injury.

The 2023 season was the year of the backup QB in the NFL with a rash of teams losing their starting quarterbacks and having to turn to a backup.

Most of the backups failed but Joe Flacco found success with the Browns and others had brief pockets of good play.

The Jets know it is time to move on from Wilson.

The No. 2 overall pick from the 2021 draft is expected to be traded or released in the coming weeks.

Siemian is not expected back. That means the Jets will be starting fresh behind Rodgers.

The free-agent market features some intriguing veterans that should draw interest from the Jets. Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Tannehill are all potential targets.

Brissett only played three games for the Commanders this season, but the Jets got to see him up close when he came off the bench against them on Christmas Eve and nearly led the Commanders to a comeback win. Jets assistant GM Rex Hogan knows Brissett from their days with the Colts and the 31-year-old would be a nice fit.

While Flacco drew the headlines at the end of the season, the backup who had the most success overall in 2023 was Minshew.

He won seven games for the Colts this season. He may want to stay with coach Shane Steichen, whom he followed to Indy from the Eagles, but he will be in demand if he hits free agency.

Taylor started five games for the Giants this season. The knock on Taylor is that he can’t stay healthy. When he plays, he looks good but his availability is a concern.

Tannehill has ties to the Jets with passing game coordinator Todd Downing and offensive line coach Keith Carter both having come to the Jets from the Titans, where they worked with Tannehill. That makes him someone to watch in free agency.

As for the NFL draft, some have wondered whether the Jets would draft a quarterback early and let him develop behind Rodgers. That does not seem likely this year since the Jets have other needs to fill early in the draft.

But they could take a developmental quarterback on Day 3 like Michael Pratt of Tulane, Jordan Travis of Florida State or Sam Hartman of Notre Dame.

The Jets then may look to draft Rodgers’ successor early in the 2025 draft, which would be one of the biggest stories of next offseason.