The ultimate test for two young quarterbacks

The New York Jets have two young quarterbacks that will face their ultimate test this offseason. Can one of them beat out a veteran quarterback and lead this team towards something meaningful in 2017?

Hope is in the air as the New York Jets do their best to ensure this upcoming season is one that shows progress, hard work, and a step towards a brighter future. It’s no secret they have a pretty tough schedule and have a team that has a lot of youth but not a whole lot of experience. Sure, positional battles will take place all across the roster of the Jets but none more important than the one under center.

This offseason, the Jets brought in Josh McCown to be a veteran presence at quarterback. Yes, he doesn’t come with an amazingly successful winning resume but at the end of the day, has a ton of experience, a great personality, and he was brought in to mold both Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg.

Believe it or not, McCown is important for both Petty and Hackenberg to get them ready for the next step. Once training camp officially arrives, these two young quarterbacks face the ultimate test in the grand scheme of things.

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Can Petty step up as a leader and continue what he started last season? Can Hackenberg prove that he’s capable of honing his craft and showing progress after his rookie season? Can they both do what needs to get done for one to emerge as the clear-cut starting quarterback for the Jets heading into the regular season?

Things won’t bode well for the Jets if neither quarterback can outperform McCown, who again, has only won two games in the past three seasons. With a real quarterback competition coming up, it’s important that the young quarterbacks shine and show that there is no reason to use McCown as a last resort.

McCown will compete but again, it’s imperative that one of these young quarterbacks puts on a clinic to live up to their potential. Remember, the Jets are rebuilding and need to find answers if either Petty or Hackenberg is worth keeping around for the long haul. For one of these two young quarterbacks, if they emerge as the next starting quarterback of the Jets, it could finally be the answer fans have been waiting decades for. If neither are capable of defeating a veteran quarterback who was brought in on a simple one-year deal just to be a mentor and an insurance policy for the long season ahead, it proves that the Jets will be in a dire situation and need to go back to the drawing board.