A high-quality backup quarterback is crucial for Jets in 2018

The New York Jets have major problems at quarterback as it’s crucial they have a high-quality backup in place for next season.

On paper, the only quarterbacks that are currently signed on the New York Jets roster are Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Yeah, you already know that right there could be disastrous next season until the Jets make some big moves to bolster the most important position on the team. Besides having a new starter in place, it’s also crucially important they have a high-quality backup in place as well.

Veteran quarterback Josh McCown is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and has gone on record to say he wants to continue playing in 2018. Will it be with the Jets? It most likely would be but again, anything can happen once free agency hits.

Ideally, the Jets should bring back McCown under the condition that he’ll mostly be in a backup/insurance role. The reason is, it’s time the Jets started a new era with a young or a better veteran quarterback under center capable of winning 10+ games. They surely can’t start next season with McCown as their starter since it’s unlikely he’ll replicate what he accomplished last year and even then, is limited in the below-average skill-set he brings to the table.

Whether it’s Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, or using their No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Jets need to finally address their quarterback situation once and for all. They need to bring in a new face to the franchise that can take care of business and bring better results. The Jets also need to make sure a high-quality backup quarterback is in place as well.

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Anything can happen during the regular season as depth is important in the grand scheme of things. Taking a look at what happened to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Playoffs, it goes to show that when a star quarterback goes down, the “next man up” will always apply and could make or break a season. Luckily for the Eagles, their backup quarterback, Nick Foles, stepped up and delivered when they lost Carson Wentz for the rest of the way.

When McCown went down last season for the Jets due to a broken hand injury, his backup, Petty, showcased some of the worst football you’d ever see from under center. He was so bad that the Jets stuck with him and didn’t bother to give Hackenberg a shot since they probably felt he was an even worse quarterback than Petty.

At the end of the day, the Jets need to add new talent to their quarterback situation and the only one worth keeping, in a backup role, should be McCown. Petty isn’t good enough to be a starter in the NFL and Hackenberg might forever be kept a secret from the football world to possibly hide the fact that he’s also probably a terrible quarterback. At least McCown had his best season yet in his career, knows the system, and would do well if he ever had to start again.

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The Jets should throw in a solid quarterback through free agency, draft another one in this year’s draft, and have a high-quality backup in place so a better situation is there for the Jets in 2018. You don’t know how important a backup quarterback is until you need one bad.