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New York Jets: Why Colin Kaepernick won’t happen in 2016

ByLuis Tirado Jr.|

Let’s take a trip into the future, shall we? The New York Jets post a terrible 7-9 season in 2015, Geno Smith once again becomes a turnover machine and makes it clear that he’s not the franchise quarterback the team needs. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick comes in to try and save the season but it’s too much to handle as he does decent but not enough to launch the Jets into the NFL Playoffs. The season is over as frustration fills across the entire organization as a diehard fan base realizes that the Jets need to do something big at quarterback. Would they try and go after a possible big name next offseason in Colin Kaepernick?

If this situation truly happens this upcoming season, the Jets will most likely explore some options to not only upgrade but find stability at quarterback. Considering that the core of the Jets’ defense is only getting older, the window for the Jets to see a return on all their investments of players is about 2-3 years. After that window, it’ll be 2018 and the Jets will have many other areas across the team to improve, especially on defense.

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Having an elite quarterback is an absolute must in the NFL these days as even though the Jets will most likely field a top defense for the next few years, if you’re not putting up enough points on the scoreboard, you will lose plenty of games. That’s why it’s important to have one or at the very least, find one that can step right in and deliver.

Unfortunately for the Jets, acquiring Kaepernick next offseason is much more of a dream than a reality. Even if he has a terrible season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, he will demand a ton of money for his past achievements. Even though he’s had a bit of decline in his play, it was only a few years ago he was lighting up the NFL and took his team to a Super Bowl.

The Jets will also have to spend most of their salary cap keeping core players around, especially guys like Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson. One better believe they will want to keep their core defensive players in tact before committing so much money to a free agent quarterback that isn’t a guarantee to deliver immediate results.

Knowing the Jets and how they have historically handled business at quarterback, the reality of the situation is that they will most likely keep Fitzpatrick around and give quarterback Bryce Petty a real shot to run the ship. He has a tremendous amount of upside and would around that time have a year or so of experience learning the game from the sidelines.

Who knows, Petty could end up being a real hidden gem that could surprise the football world if he steps up and shows signs of being the kind of franchise quarterback the Jets need for long-term success. Sorry Jets fans, unless something magical happens, you won’t be seeing Kaepernick wearing green and white anytime soon.

Next: Chan Gailey: Is Geno Smith his greatest challenge ever?

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