Who is the NY Jets backup quarterback after Aaron Rodgers injury?

What quarterbacks do the Jets have on their roster?

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Zach Wilson / Elsa/GettyImages

NY Jets fans are hoping for the best after Aaron Rodgers was carted off with a potentially serious leg injury in the team's season opener against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.

The initial fear is that Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury, perhaps even a torn Achilles, but the four-time MVP will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury. An MRI tomorrow will tell us more.

For now, Rodgers has been replaced by former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson — the only other quarterback on the team's active roster. Wilson has struggled mightily over the first two years of his Jets career, but he might be relied upon more if Rodgers is forced to miss significant time.

So, what if Wilson gets injured? What do the Jets do? Unfortunately, they do not have another quarterback on their active roster at the moment. It's anyone's guess as to who the emergency quarterback would be if Wilson were to be injured in this game.

Who is the NY Jets backup quarterback?

The Jets do have another quarterback on their practice squad, Tim Boyle, but he was not elevated for tonight's game. Either way, he would not have been eligible for the NFL's new emergency QB rule.

The rule only applies to quarterbacks on the active roster — elevations don't count. If both quarterbacks in a game are injured, teams are allowed to insert a third QB that doesn't count toward the active roster limit. This does not apply to the Jets in this game, however.

The Jets will likely promote Boyle to the practice squad if Rodgers is forced to miss any time due to injury. It's likely that they will also explore the free-agent and trade markets. Names such as Blake Bortles, Nick Foles, Joe Flacco, and Carson Wentz will be discussed.

Either way, the Jets are in rough shape if Rodgers misses any serious amount of time. It doesn't matter if it's Wilson, Boyle, or any free agent under center. It's a disaster regardless.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.