NY Jets QB Zach Wilson has a real opportunity to win the backup job

The NY Jets have publicly insisted that they still believe in Zach Wilson. They've referred to them as their QB2 and continue to hope he will one day reach his ceiling in New York.

All of that being said, it never would have been wise for the team to go into the 2023 season with Wilson as their sole backup quarterback. And on Thursday, they made it so that won't be the case.

The Jets signed veteran backup Tim Boyle on Thursday, adding what could be the final piece (minus Aaron Rodgers, of course) to their quarterback room. Boyle is expected to compete with Wilson for the backup job this summer.

The Boyle signing is good news for Wilson, even if it provides him with some extra competition.

The NY Jets hope Zach Wilson wins the backup QB job this summer

The Jets could have signed a more established veteran backup like Teddy Bridgewater, Mason Rudolph, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert, or a host of other veteran names on the market.

Even guys like Trevor Siemian and Josh Johnson would have given the Jets a proven backup quarterback who can reliably fill in if Rodgers were to miss a few games. Boyle isn't really that guy.

The former Green Bay Packers quarterback has thrown three touchdowns and eight interceptions in his brief NFL career. He's started three games, losing them all, and hasn't really shown that he's capable of being a true backup QB.

The Jets brought in competition for Wilson, but it's not exactly the competition many would have envisioned. Boyle's experience with Nathaniel Hackett's system should give him a leg up on his competition, but in no way is his role as QB2 untouchable.

Wilson has a real opportunity to prove why he deserves to be the backup QB this summer. The Wilson we saw for most of last season wasn't even an NFL-caliber player. If we see that version of Wilson this summer, Boyle will be the backup.

On the contrary, if Wilson shows signs of marginal improvement, he might just be able to earn the backup job after all. The Jets have provided Wilson with competition, but he can beat this competition. Boyle doesn't have a particularly strong track record in the NFL or college, for that matter.

Perhaps the Jets believe in Wilson so much that they wanted to bring in competition he could legitimately beat out. Or perhaps the Jets just wanted a QB familiar with Hackett...and Aaron Rodgers.

Whatever the case, Wilson is a winner here. He has an opportunity this summer to not only prove that he deserves the backup job, but maybe, just maybe, he still has a future in New York.