Who is odd man out at quarterback?

Now that the New York Jets got the quarterback they’ve wanted all offseason long, unfortunately there will be an odd man out at the most important position on the team.

In case you missed it, the New York Jets went all in to secure quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to ensure their situation at the position is set for 2016. It’s simply a one-year deal worth about $12M guaranteed with another $3M via incentives if certain criteria are met.

It’s a win-win situation for both sides as Fitzpatrick gets the guaranteed money he’s been seeking all offseason long and the Jets bring back a quarterback that set franchise records in 2015. Both sides needed each other and now that a new contract finally came into fruition, everyone can now move forward.

The only problem is, it’s unforeseeable for the Jets to head into the regular season with four quarterbacks on the active roster. It’s unfortunate since over the past few years, the Jets have been drafting quarterbacks with hopes of finally finding one worthy to be their next franchise quarterback.

The way the NFL is these days, it’s all about proving your worth when those decision makers above you are watching. At this point in time, on the depth chart the Jets have Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg.

More from The Jet Press

Don’t expect the Jets to cut or trade Smith since he’s the best backup they would have going into 2016.

Smith has experience as a starting quarterback and is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

The Jets used their second round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft on Hackenberg as rest assured, he’s not going anywhere.

Hackenberg is raw but has the skill-set needed to be something special down the road.

With enough coaching, training and mentoring, Hackenberg presents the Jets with the best option to groom for their future franchise quarterback.

Unfortunately for Petty, unless he has an amazing training camp, he’s more than likely the odd man out at quarterback. Based on what he’s done the past year or so, he hasn’t been progressing as fast as many had envisioned while Hackenberg has a higher football IQ and should adapt everything thrown at him faster.

must read: Training Camp Preview: Wide Receivers

Overall, it’s a tough situation to be in but at the end of the day, the Jets can’t afford to have four active quarterbacks on their final roster as it means giving up a key spot somewhere else. With an emphasis on improving their overall pass rush on defense, the Jets will inevitably make a tough decision as to which quarterback they’ll have to cut. It won’t be anytime soon but unfortunately for Petty as of now, he’s on the outside looking in.

Home/Jets News