If the Jets can't land their crown jewel, Colin Cowherd believes New York should call up its fiercest division rival.
Several signs point to Aaron Rodgers joining the Jets via trade from the Green Bay Packers. The one major risk New York seemingly has created for itself is putting all of its eggs in Rodgers' basket. If the four-time NFL MVP chooses to stay in Green Bay or retire, the Jets could be screwed behind center heading into the 2023 season.
But desperate times call for desperate measures, and Cowerd thinks the Jets should contact the Patriots if they need to execute a Rodgers backup plan. Helping out a division rival at that level would be unheard of, but "The Herd" host believes Belichick could be open to the idea with an eye on the future.
"The Jets call the Patriots and say, 'We'll take Mac Jones,'" Cowherd said Tuesday on FS1. "The Patriots, because they have a coach who's not going to get fired. Belichick goes to Robert Kraft and says, 'You want the next (Tom) Brady? There's two of them in next year's draft. We tank.' What coach can withstand 2-15? Andy Reid could, (Sean) Payton now could for a year. Not many guys could withstand 2-15.
"Belichick says, 'I'm in a conference now with (Josh) Allen, (Justin) Herbert, (Joe) Burrow and (Patrick) Mahomes. I gotta get me a Caleb Williams.' By the way, I don't think they're sold on Mac Jones, who they call 'McEnroe Jones' because he fights back and pushes back. If I own the Jets and I don't land Aaron, I would absolutely call New England and say, 'We'll take Mac.'"
NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran, one of the more plugged-in Patriots, recently reported a Jones trade this offseason would happen "over Robert Kraft's dead body." Curran issued the report without a specific team attached, so one can imagine how opposed New England's brass might be to the idea of moving Jones to the Meadowlands.
So, don't count on Jones swapping a Patriots uniform for Jets' threads. But Cowherd's other take on Belichick's lack of commitment to Jones might have some legs.
