5 veteran backup quarterbacks the NY Jets should target in 2024

4. The NY Jets could sign Gardner Minshew

Another backup quarterback the Jets could've signed for cheap last offseason is Gardner Minshew. The former Jacksonville Jaguars QB agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts last offseason, and he went on to start 13 games for the team in 2023.

Minshew took over for the injured Anthony Richardson and helped lead the Colts to a 9-8 record, on the verge of a postseason appearance. He didn't light up the stat sheet, but Minshew held down the fort and provided stability and competency to the quarterback position.

He's very similar to Bridgewater in that he's probably not good enough to be a full-time starter, but he's more than capable of starting a handful of games and keeping a team's season afloat in the event their starter gets injured.

Minshew should be high on the Jets' list of potential backup quarterback options this offseason. You aren't going to find many better backups on the open market.

3. The NY Jets could sign Sam Darnold

This would make for quite the story. Sam Darnold never lived up to expectations during his time with the Jets, ultimately lasting just three years in New York before he was shipped to Carolina and replaced by Zach Wilson.

Wouldn't it be something if Darnold returned to Florham Park to replace the quarterback the Jets drafted to assume his role a few years back? Only this time, it wouldn't be as a starter.

Darnold didn't fare well as a starter in Carolina, although he showed some promise down the stretch in 2022. He spent the entirety of the 2023 season as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco, so he has experience in a similar offensive system to the one the Jets run.

Darnold may not be the most obvious backup quarterback target for the Jets, but he would undoubtedly be an upgrade over their current crop of backups. Why not have a little fun and bring Darnold back to his first NFL home?