The Jets might have their sights set on Aaron Rodgers, who reportedly is a legitimate trade candidate this NFL offseason.
But if New York is forced to aim a bit lower, there’s going to be a free-agent option out there who Gang Green probably should take a look at as they try to stabilize their quarterback situation.
Largely overlooked in the quarterback conversation as the 2022 NFL season winds down is Jimmy Garoppolo, who was forced to shut down his ninth campaign in the league in early December due to a foot injury. Garoppolo is bound for the open market, so it wouldn’t take a blockbuster trade to acquire him like it would for Rodgers or Derek Carr.
Asked to predict Garoppolo’s landing spot on a recent episode of “NFL Total Access,” former linebacker Thomas Davis identified a team that is in win-now mode.
“I would put him with the Jets,” Davis said on NFL Network. “When you look at Jimmy G and you look at what he’s been able to do — you put him with good guys around him, he’s been very effective. He wins football games. The Jets have a ton of weapons offensively. I think Garrett Wilson is gonna be one of the best receivers in football over the next five or six years. When you look at that defense, I think that defense is built to win. All they need is a quarterback that can come in and not put them in bad situations, not turn the football over, not make them have to play with short fields. If you put Jimmy G in there, he’s a guy that can get that done and you don’t have to leverage your future in order to get him.”
Another factor that could appeal Garoppolo to the Jets is his familiarity with head coach Robert Saleh, the former 49ers defensive coordinator who was around the 31-year-old for four seasons in San Francisco. Saleh received an up-close look at what Jimmy G can do when he’s surrounded by a great supporting cast.
Furthermore, adding a good-but-not-great QB would allow New York to hang onto its investment in Zach Wilson. If Wilson can learn under Garoppolo for a few seasons and come out better on the other side, it would be an ideal scenario for the Jets.
