4 QB options if the NY Jets miss out on Aaron Rodgers

The NY Jets held on to Derek Carr as a contingency plan in case they missed out on Aaron Rodgers for as long as they could. And credit to Carr, he gave Rodgers and the Jets ample time to make a decision.

Ultimately, despite Carr's apparent desire to join the Jets, the organization was never able to fully commit to him in the way that the New Orleans Saints did. That's because their eyes remain squarely on Rodgers.

The Jets are playing a dangerous game with Rodgers. Despite the team's best efforts to pitch the future Hall of Fame quarterback on New York, it remains far from a guarantee that he decides to join the Jets.

Retirement remains a very real possibility for Rodgers, at least, if reports are to be believed. It's hard to imagine he wants to go back to Green Bay at this stage (or that Green Bay wants him back), but that can't completely be ruled out either.

The Jets are stuck waiting for Rodgers to make his decision, much like they have been for the better part of the last two months. Until that happens, everything is on hold.

Of course, this begs the question, what if Rodgers says no? What if Rodgers decides to call it quits and walk away from $60 million? What if he forces the Packers' hand and insists he wants to play in Green Bay for another season?

What if the Jets can't land Aaron Rodgers? It's a question that caused mass hysteria following Carr's signing, and it's a real possibility that many probably don't want to consider.

Is it truly Aaron Rodgers or bust for the Jets? Let's take a look at the four most realistic possibilities for the Jets if they miss out on Rodgers.

4. The NY Jets can sign a mid-tier veteran and draft a quarterback

This is the "all else failed, last-resort option. The Jets will do their best to swing for the fences if they can't land Rodgers. They'll explore every possibility and make calls about every high-end quarterback that is or isn't on the market.

But if all else fails, if the Jets are unable to land the other players on this list, they could resort to the fringe starter market in free agency with the goal of pairing that player with a draft pick.

We're talking about players in that Andy Dalton, Jacoby Brissett, and Baker Mayfield tier. Players who can perform well under certain circumstances but are little more than fringe starters/high-end backups.

Obviously, this is a disastrous situation for the Jets to find themselves in. There is no good outcome here, but there are less bad outcomes.

Dalton and Brissett both played significantly better than most have given them credit for last season. Brissett and Dalton finished as Pro Football Focus' sixth and seventh-highest-graded quarterbacks in 2022.

PFF grades aren't everything, of course, but Brissett did finish top-10 in ESPN's QBR, while Dalton ranked seventh in passer rating. They may not have put up gaudy numbers, but they were both certainly serviceable starters.

Pairing one of them with a rookie quarterback, possibly even in the first round, would be one way to potentially mitigate an otherwise awful scenario.

The Jets don't want to find themselves in this situation, but at least it's better than trotting out Zach Wilson for another season — not that that should be the bar.

3. The NY Jets can trade for Ryan Tannehill

The Tennessee Titans have publicly stated that they expect Ryan Tannehill to be their starting quarterback in 2023. That's their plan as of now, and it seems unlikely to change.

But if a desperate Jets team that has missed out on all their top choices comes calling, perhaps the Titans would reconsider those plans...for the right price.

The Jets have viewed Tannehill as their fourth option behind Rodgers, Carr, and Jimmy Garoppolo since the start of the offseason. The soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback is at least a starting-caliber QB who can manage an offense.

Tannehill's numbers have declined over the last two seasons, but he's just a few years removed from a legitimately excellent campaign in 2020. That came a year after Tannehill reached the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

There's also the Todd Downing connection to consider. Downing served as the Titans' offensive coordinator over the last two seasons and spent all four years with Tannehill in Tennessee.

The Jets hired Downing to be their passing game coordinator last month, and head coach Robert Saleh recently suggested that he's expected to be the "main voice" in the team's quarterback room. It would make sense to pair him with a QB he's familiar with.

Tannehill is an uninspiring, mediocre option who doesn't exactly raise the ceiling for the Jets and will cost assets to acquire. But he's a starting-caliber quarterback with ties to the coaching staff who could be available.

That alone earns him a spot on this extremely concerning list of Rodgers contingency plans.

2. The NY Jets can sign Jimmy Garoppolo

This is the most realistic fallback option for the Jets if they miss out on Rodgers. The Jets like Jimmy Garoppolo. There have reportedly been voices in the Jets' building pushing for Garoppolo this offseason, with some even preferring him over Derek Carr.

The potential fit is obvious, even with former offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur now in Los Angeles. Garoppolo has history with numerous members of the Jets' coaching staff, including head coach Robert Saleh.

The Jets are expected to run a similar offensive scheme to the one they ran last year — a scheme that Garoppolo is very familiar with from his time in San Francisco.

On top of that, unlike the likes of Rodgers and Tannehill, Garoppolo is guaranteed to be available. The Jets will have an opportunity to sign Garoppolo if they miss out on Rodgers.

The problem, aside from the massive talent gap between those two players, is that the Jets won't be the only team pursuing Garoppolo. Teams like the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and Las Vegas Raiders are all reportedly interested in the former Patriots' backup.

There will be a bidding war for Garoppolo as he's expected to have a robust market. On top of that, Garoppolo isn't exactly a high-end quarterback target. He's never been anything more than a league-average QB, despite playing in the most favorable quarterback situation in the NFL.

There are genuine concerns about how Garoppolo will perform outside of that 49ers system, just as there are genuine concerns about his injury history. He's missed significant time due to injury in three of the last five seasons.

Garoppolo is a realistic, attainable contingency plan for the Jets if they miss out on Rodgers, but he would still be a considerable disappointment, given the other opportunities the team had this offseason.

1. The NY Jets can trade for Lamar Jackson

There is only one semi-viable and appealing option for the Jets if they miss out on Aaron Rodgers. The only way the Jets can miss out on both Rodgers and Carr and still come away with a big-name quarterback is if they found a way to trade for Lamar Jackson.

Jackson is arguably the most high-profile quarterback on the market this offseason. The former MVP is a top-10 quarterback in the NFL and a legitimate, bonafide franchise QB at just 26 years old.

The Baltimore Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson this past Tuesday, allowing other teams to negotiate with him and make an offer. The Ravens have the option to match any offer Jackson receives or receive two first-round picks in return.

In essence, the Ravens are telling Jackson to let the market dictate his price. If he can get another team to meet his valuation (which doesn't seem to be happening), they might just match it. If not, they can revisit negotiations with a better idea of his market value.

No team has stepped up to the plate just yet, perhaps due to the NFL owners' collective desire to avoid another market-setting contract. Whether spoken or unspoken, the NFL owners have an incentive to make an example out of Jackson.

But could a desperate team like the Jets, fresh off missing out on Aaron Rodgers, break that unspoken bond? Would Woody Johnson be desperate enough to ignore the NFL owners' apparent pact and make an offer of his own?

I could absolutely see it happening.

The problem is that the Ravens can always match any offer the Jets submit to Jackson. If the Jets are willing to set the market, perhaps Baltimore simply accepts their fate and matches the deal.

It's probably still a pipedream for the Jets to land Lamar Jackson, but if they miss on Rodgers, they absolutely should be all over his market. Don't settle for the small fish when there's a big fish left in the pond.