Analyzing 5 potential starting quarterbacks for the NY Jets in 2023

The NY Jets took massive strides in 2022, despite finishing with a record of 7-10 following a 6-3 start.

For as good of a season as the Jets had, the missing ingredient was undoubtedly a stable quarterback, which makes this offseason so crucial considering the very real possibility that all this team needed was a quarterback if they were going to make the postseason.

Let's go through five of the most attractive options to be the starting quarterback ahead of the 2023 season. Perhaps any one of these guys could take the Jets to the playoffs this upcoming year.

5. Derek Carr

There is a lot of speculation around Derek Carr right now as he's been released by the Las Vegas Raiders and is officially a free agent.

He may wind up being more expensive than he's worth considering he had a controversy-less season (new to the Las Vegas Raiders) with Davante Adams as his number-one receiver and Josh Jacobs going off the way he did, and he still struggled to take care of the football.

Carr had just five interceptions through his first 10 games this year — three of those coming in Week 1, but then in his final five games, he tallied a whopping nine interceptions.

He went from dealing with controversy and chaos in 2021 from Henry Ruggs and Jon Gruden's PR nightmares while still making the playoffs, to having a quieter 2022 season with everything hunky dory and he wasn't able to even play .500 football.

Derek Carr thrives in chaos from the looks of it.

The Jets of old might've been a better fit for him, but since Robert Saleh has gotten this defense turned around and young talent is healthily populating the roster, perhaps Carr is not the guy.

Struggling as mightily as he did this past season with good weapons and a stout run game should be concerning.

4. Ryan Tannehill

Tannehill has been at the center of trade rumors recently and the Jets certainly appear to like what he brings to the table. What the Jets were missing this season was (at the very least) a game manager who could make the throws and take care of the football.

Tannehill has revitalized his career since taking over in Tennessee, but there are a couple of serious red flags despite the success he's had.

First, he revitalized his career with Arthur Smith as his offensive coordinator. Once Smith left for Atlanta, Tannehill's numbers (and play) dropped off. He went from a 33 TD/7 INT performance in 2020 to a 21 TD/14 INT season in 2021 and then a 13 TD/6 INT season in 2022.

More importantly, in that 2020 season, Tannehill posted a 72.6 QBR (the stat that grades how you individually contribute to your team). In 2021, he dropped down to a 55.9, and then this season he dropped even further down to a 49.2.

Ryan Tannehill with Arthur Smith equals success. Ryan Tannehill without Arthur Smith equals serious mediocrity.

Final point — Tannehill has been touted for his performance in the regular season, but it was made crystal clear in the 2021 playoffs that he was not a playoff-made quarterback as he single-handedly cost the Titans the Bengals game as he threw three key interceptions that set Evan McPherson up to win it.

Had Tannehill thrown just one less interception, we would be talking about the 2021-22 Chiefs/Titans AFC Championship Game instead of a Chiefs/Bengals one. Hey, perhaps the Chiefs have three Super Bowls by now instead of two.

They can thank Ryan Tannehill for that.

Tannehill is decent. With weapons, he'll keep things locked down. But if you want a quarterback who will take it to the next level, or you want a quarterback who's going to carry you in the playoff, unfortunately, he is not that guy.

3. Justin Fields

There is talk out there about the Jets trading their first-round pick for Justin Fields, giving the Chicago Bears two first-rounders this year, where they can take a quarterback at number one and perhaps another weapon at 13.

This would be a second chance for the Bears to start over at the quarterback position while also a second chance for the Jets to make amends for taking Zach Wilson in 2021 over Fields.

It is now clear that Justin Fields was the pick to make over Wilson, despite the ongoing struggles Fields has as an overall passer. He's very obviously a much better player than Wilson is at this stage.

However, despite Fields' issues in the passing game (60.4% completion/3.5% INT rate), he has a very good and coachable arm. With weapons around him (Garrett Wilson and others), and an offensive coordinator who knows what he's doing (Nathaniel Hackett), I can see him making a huge jump in 2023.

We know he's gifted as a runner, but that is not what's going to make him last in this league. It's going to have to be his passing game, and the Jets might have exactly what he needs going forward to make that happen.

I certainly would love to see it.

2. Aaron Rodgers

Are we STILL talking about Aaron Rodgers?! Man oh man, what an absolute pain in the neck this guy is. I'll say this, though — I think Rodgers had a tougher year than many would give him credit for.

Adjusting to life without Davante Adams hit him pretty hard. I saw way too many dropped passes from his young receivers, his defense was a major disappointment, and Matt LaFleur really got exposed in his play-calling without Adams to lean on.

To make matters worse, Rodgers dealt with both a fractured thumb and broken ribs. Rodgers did not play great, but I don't think he had much to work with this time around.

I do, however, believe if he were to stay in Green Bay, his receivers would improve immensely, and the Packers would be right back to the top of the division with another year under their belts.

2022, in my opinion, was a reboot year for the Packers, so it confuses me when I hear Rodgers wants out of Green Bay and/or when I hear the Packers are ready to move on after gifting him $60 million a year.

I don't think Rodgers is done, physically, in this league. If the Jets were to grab him, I believe he puts them in a great position to win the division and possibly contend for a Super Bowl, despite his well-known playoff woes.

1. Lamar Jackson

Lastly, my favorite quarterback on the docket — Lamar Jackson. Jackson is a better passer than Justin Fields at this point in both of their careers, and he's a lot younger with a brighter future than Rodgers, Tannehill, and Carr.

He doesn't have the postseason success his talent warrants, but given an organization that wants to build around him like I believe the Jets are right now, there's no limit to what he can bring to a football team.

He's had a great tight end in Mark Andrews to throw to all these years, but since his MVP season, the Ravens' offense has been a shell of itself and hasn't provided Jackson with the opportunities to excel in the passing game.

Nathaniel Hackett is certainly not afraid to run the football, but with a great quarterback playing at an elite level with wide receivers who can get open, the passing game should flourish.

I think the AFC North has gotten a lot tougher for Jackson having to deal with the revamped Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers, with his own Ravens team falling behind thanks to their failures to put elite/non-injury-prone wide receivers around him.

Moving to a division like the AFC East with the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills trending downward, and the Miami Dolphins with a quarterback much less gifted than Jackson, seems like the optimal move for the 26-year-old former MVP.

I'd like to see the Ravens trade him. I'd like to see the Jets be the team that gets him.

The Jets would then have the ability to compete for championships at a more regular level for many years to come.