NY Jets insider makes controversial prediction for NY Jets' starting QB in 2025

The NY Jets will be in the market for a new quarterback this offseason after parting ways with Aaron Rodgers earlier this month. In what is expected to be a weak QB market, the Jets won't have many appealing options.

They could turn to the 2025 NFL Draft in search of a potentially long-term solution, but that seems unlikely. They could take a swing on a higher-upside free-agent target like Justin Fields, but they won't be alone in their pursuit. Other targets like Matthew Stafford or Sam Darnold feel like pipedreams.

There's a chance the Jets could be left with a middling veteran bridge quarterback as their best option for 2025. One name that could make sense as a realistic target is Kirk Cousins.

ESPN's Rich Cimini recently predicted on an episode of the Flight Deck podcast that Cousins would be the Jets' starting quarterback come Week 1 of next season. It might not be the choice every Jets fan wants, but it's a feasible outcome.

Kirk Cousins could be the NY Jets' starting QB in 2025

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason. The longtime Minnesota Vikings QB was coming off a torn Achilles, but the hope was that he'd be ready for Week 1 and still provide his new team with solid quarterback play.

While Cousins had his moments in 2024, including a two-game stretch in which he threw for seven touchdowns and zero interceptions, it's safe to say that his first season in Atlanta was a massive disappointment.

Cousins was benched late in the year in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. and is not expected to be the team's starter moving forward. The expectation is that the Falcons will move on from Cousins this offseason, either via a trade or outright releasing him.

Of course, the concerns with Cousins are evident. The Michigan State product will be 37 before the season starts and is coming off a rough year where his mobility was clearly limited by his Achilles injury.

Cousins also reportedly dealt with shoulder and elbow injuries toward the latter half of the season which directly contributed to his struggles and eventual benching. You basically get the same concerns you had with Rodgers, albeit with less upside.

That's probably why Cousins wouldn't be a popular choice among Jets fans, but there are reasons the team could be interested. For starters, Cousins would come extremely cheap compared to other quarterback options on the market.

The Falcons will still be paying Cousins his his $27.5 million guaranteed base salary in 2025 whether he's on the roster or not. It's expected that he will agree to a veteran's minimum contract with a new team if released, much like Russell Wilson did with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He also has more of a proven pedigree than someone like Tyrod Taylor, who has spent the majority of his career as a backup/fringe starter. Cousins has been a good starting quarterback in the NFL for a long time, so he at least has a bit more credibility among players.

Cimini believes the Jets will target a "team-first" quarterback who will come cheap, and Cousins certainly fits the bill. A quarterback room of Cousins, Taylor, and Jordan Travis — plus maybe a rookie QB — could be a competent enough group to hold the Jets over until they find their long-term replacement in 2026.

He may not be as exciting of an option as Justin Fields or a rookie quarterback, but there's a very real chance Cousins is the Jets' Week 1 starter come September.

More NY Jets news and analysis: