The New York Jets need a quarterback.
They lost starter Ryan Fitzpatrick with torn ligaments in his thumb and backup Geno Smith to a left shoulder/abdomen injury in Sunday’s Week 8 loss to the Oakland Raiders, leaving them without a capable player at the sport’s most important position.
As you’d expect, the Jets are exploring which quarterbacks might be available to them through various means, per ProFootballTalk.
Smith said he’s “pretty confident” he’ll be able to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Even if that’s the case, the Jets still would need a backup.
One quarterback the Jets won’t be pursuing is Ryan Mallett, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mallett recently was released from the Houston Texans after struggling in the early part of the season.
While winning the AFC East isn’t a realistic goal, the Jets are very much in the wild card picture. They are tied for the first wild-card playoff spot in the AFC with the Raiders at 4-3.
But if they cannot find a quality quarterback to fill in for Fitzpatrick, the Jets might slip further in the standings. The Jets offense must play better, as the team’s vaunted defense is struggling after giving up 30-plus points in back-to-back games.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
