The New York Jets are painstakingly DESPERATE to accumulate a face-of-the franchise quarterback. They have not had a franchise passer since Joe Namath, who recorded the primary 4,000-yard passing season in NFL historical past again in 1967. They have not had a quarterback throw for that many passing yards since. Following the Sacramento Kings clinching a spot within the NBA playoffs on Wednesday night time, it is Gang Green that now has the longest energetic playoff drought in North American skilled sports activities — MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL — at 12 seasons. The Jets have not reached the postseason for the reason that 2010 season when their head coach was Rex Ryan, their quarterback was Mark Sanchez, and their top-10 protection was led by Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis.
Naturally, New York has gone all out to accumulate an skilled Pro Bowl passer this offseason since staff proprietor Woody Johnson indicated in January that he was “completely” prepared to pay up for a veteran quarterback to pair up with the Jets top-five scoring protection (18.6 factors per recreation allowed, fourth-best within the NFL).
“We’ve obtained a cap of how a lot you’ll be able to spend, however yeah,” Johnson mentioned in January. “That’s [a veteran quarterback] type of the lacking piece. Defense was an unbelievable story, you noticed, from final place to shut to the highest. If you are able to do the identical factor on offense, it seems to be fairly good.”
That pursuit of a longtime quarterback has manifested itself in bending over backwards for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. The Jets have employed former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, signed former Green Bay large receiver Allen Lazard to a four-year, $44 million contract, and it labored. After Rodgers met with the staff at his dwelling in California, he introduced his intention to play for the Jets. However, the commerce take care of the Packers is reportedly being held up as a result of there are considerations on the Jets’ facet about how for much longer the 39-year-old Rodgers needs to play ball.
Given that concern, why do not the Jets simply pivot to a different NFL MVP quarterback who’s 13 years youthful in 26-year-old Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson? He’s on the non-exclusive franchise tag, which means New York can ship him a suggestion sheet at any time now. If Jackson indicators a suggestion sheet, Baltimore may have 5 days to match it or obtain two first-round picks as compensation. The Ravens and Jets might additionally work out a commerce, as soon as Jackson is signed. Here’s what Jets common supervisor Joe Douglas mentioned a few Jackson pursuit on Tuesday.
“First of all, Lamar Jackson is a implausible participant, however the place we stand is, it could be disingenuous and negotiating in dangerous religion if we went down that path,” Douglas mentioned. “We have our plan, now we have our course of and we’re sticking to that … We’re by no means going to function in dangerous religion.”
Douglas is the overall manger of an NFL staff, particularly an NFL staff that should make the playoffs this 12 months as his job and head coach Robert Saleh’s job could also be on the road if they do not. His boss, staff proprietor Woody Johnson, mentioned as a lot Tuesday.
“I’m not the affected person kind,” Johnson mentioned. “We’re within the win enterprise. We must win now.”
Yet, Douglas is working as if he is the GM of a fantasy soccer staff with an overly-sensitive group of school buddies. In most fantasy soccer leagues, different groups could be understanding of a staff shifting to a unique commerce if it is the higher deal.
Should Douglas tire of going backwards and forwards with Packers common supervisor Brian Gutekunst over Rodgers, which is unlikely to occur however simply in case, listed below are just a few the explanation why entering into the Lamar Jackson enterprise is smart for the Jets each now and down the highway.
1. Jackson suits the Jets’ staff timeline in relation to the age of New York’s different high gamers
The overwhelming majority of the New York Jets’ core group is underneath 30. All of their high three large receivers in addition to their beginning tight finish are youthful than 29 years previous in 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson (turns 23 on July 22), free agent signee Allen Lazard (turns 28 on Dec. 11), free agent signee Mecole Hardman (25), and tight finish Tyler Conklin (turns 28 on July 30). Ditto for second-year working again Breece Hall (21), 2022 First-Team All-Pro defensive sort out Quinnen Williams (turns 26 on Dec. 5), and 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year cornerback Sauce Gardner (turns 23 on Aug. 31).
Adding Rodgers to the Jets could be placing a two-year window on a core that might contend for much longer with a extra secure, when it comes to years left to play in profession, quarterback. Back in 2009, New York chosen USC quarterback Mark Sanchez fifth general within the draft, placing youth on the quarterback place whereas each different key place on the roster was predominantly crammed by win-now veterans. New York reached consecutive AFC Championship video games within the 2009 and 2010 seasons, however they have not made the playoffs since as their roster withered away round Sanchez, derailing his growth. As consequence, Gang Green now has possession of the longest energetic postseason drought, 12 seasons.
Trading for Rodgers would put the Jets’ roster within the reverse place of these early 2010s Jets with a younger forged and an getting older quarterback, however after Rodgers leaves in a 12 months or two, New York might discover itself again in the identical place. Acquiring 2019 unanimous MVP Jackson, who’s 26, would give Gang Green a quarterback on the same profession arc as the remainder of its roster, placing the franchise in a greater place to contend over the lengthy haul.
2. The acquisition value for Rodgers goes to be a number of picks and including one of many richest contracts within the NFL. How about investing in a youthful participant at that worth level?
Clearly, Rodgers is not a free agent as he has two years remaining on his three-year, $150 million contract extension he signed final offseason. That contract made Rodgers the primary participant in NFL historical past to have a contract with a mean annual worth of $50 million per 12 months. Yet, the Jets are all-in to not solely tackle his historic contract but additionally give up draft picks to the Packers through commerce to tackle a 39-year-old with an enormous contract.
Signing Lamar Jackson off of his non-exclusive franchise tag requires crafting a contract the Baltimore Ravens will not match — a take care of no less than $231 million assured, which might be a million greater than what Deshaun Watson obtained on his Cleveland Browns contract extension — after which coming to phrases with Baltimore on a commerce bundle. Both processes contain taking up the richest contract within the NFL and surrendering early-round draft picks to take action. The distinction: Jackson is 13 years youthful than Rodgers. There’s loads of methods to construction a contract for Jackson by way of signing bonuses, roster bonuses, and extra to decrease a cap hit on a large contract just like the one Jackson would command.
If the Jets are going to commerce in a stockpile of their high picks and wage cap house for a quarterback, doing so for the one who will stick round longer is the way in which to go.
3. Jackson might make one other leap in New York with one of the best pass-catching core of his profession
One of the highest considerations quarterback-needy groups have decreed when requested why they have not pursued Jackson is his play model. He’s a unique type of quarterback. Jackson is one among solely six gamers in NFL historical past to have over 100 passing touchdowns (101) and over 4,000 speeding yards (4,437). He’s the quickest participant to hit these bench marks by a whopping 31 video games. His profession speeding yards complete of 4,437 is already the fifth-most by a quarterback in NFL historical past, and his complete can also be 1,230 MORE speeding yards by way of 5 seasons than some other quarterback all time.
100+ cross TD and 4,000+ speeding yards in NFL historical past
Jackson has run as a lot as he has out of necessity, not as a result of it is his solely path to success. Baltimore’s offense is centered across the run due to their refusal to take a position important cash into their offense. The Ravens have spent a mixed $262.7 million on the offensive facet of the ball since 2019, when Jackson grew to become their full-time beginning quarterback. That’s the least sum of money spent on offense within the ENTIRE NFL in that span. Their large receiver group has accounted for $47.2 million of that complete since 2019, the second-least sum of money spent on large receivers in that span forward of solely the Pittsburgh Steelers’ league-low $34.2 million.
Naturally, Ravens large receivers have ranked useless final in receiving yards per recreation in three of the final 4 seasons since 2019. Tight finish Mark Andrews, Jackson’s high goal, has 3,761 receiving yards since 2019, the second-most amongst tight ends behind solely Kansas City Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce’s 5,108 receiving yards in that span. The solely different Raven with over 1,000 receiving yards from 2019-2022 is large receiver Marquise Brown (2,361), the staff’s first-round decide in 2019. He was traded to the Arizona Cardinals final offseason in trade for a first-round decide that ultimately become heart Tyler Linderbaum.
Ravens receiving yards per recreation by WRs
SEASONRECEIVING YPGNFL RANK
2022
89.2
Last
2021
142.4
nineteenth
2020
108.1
Last
2019
88.7
Last
That lack of funding has additionally led to a scarcity of continuity on the Ravens’ offensive ability positions, additional capping Jackson’s progress as a passer. Since 2018, when Jackson was drafted, their most typical mixture of 5 ability gamers was working again J.Okay. Dobbins, large receiver Marquise Brown, large receiver Miles Boykin, large receiver Willie Snead and tight finish Mark Andrews. They performed a measly 97 snaps collectively. That ranks a hundred and twentieth amongst all NFL staff ability participant combos in that span.
However, the Jets come fully-loaded at working again and receiver with Garrett Wilson in his second season, receiver Allen Lazard locked down on a four-year, $44 million contract, large receiver Mecole Hardman representing maybe the quickest participant Jackson has performed with, and working again Breece Hall coming into his second season. That group is a bunch of younger, explosive playmakers who will largely be round for a number of seasons. Jackson mixed with that group might make one other large leap that might thrust him proper again into the NFL MVP dialog for years to return. Those playmakers might additionally result in Jackson dialing again on his speeding makes an attempt, which might additionally prolong the size of his profession.
4. Aaron Rodgers had arguably the worst season of his profession in 2022 whereas enjoying with a damaged thumb
The Jets buying Rodgers now shouldn’t be the identical as buying Rodgers a 12 months in the past. In the 2022 offseason, Rodgers was coming off consecutive, wholesome NFL MVP campaigns. This offseason, Rodgers is coming off arguably the worst statistical season of his profession together with his personal-low in passer score (91.1) whereas enjoying by way of a damaged thumb on his throwing hand. He suffered the damage on the ultimate play of the Packers’ Week 4 loss towards the Giants in London, when he was smacked on the brink of uncork a Hail Mary heave.
Aaron Rodgers’ 2022 stats
Pass Yards
3,695
Third-worst
Pass Yards/Attempt
6.8
2nd-worst
Passing Touchdowns
26
T-4th-worst
Interceptions
12
2nd-worst
Passer Rating
91.1
Worst
As Rodgers enters age 40 through the 2023 season, the chances of him taking one other shot within the pocket and struggling a season-altering damage enhance exponentially. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson has solely missed 10 profession video games due to damage. Sure, each have come within the final two seasons, however from 2018-2020, Jackson missed zero video games as a result of damage throughout his first three seasons. If the Jets take a step again and give it some thought, emptying out their piggy financial institution for a quarterback who has solely taken 4 full seasons of NFL beatings in Jackson is a safer guess than doing so for a passer who has taken 15 full seasons of NFL hits in Rodgers.
As of this second, the Jets and Packers haven’t come to phrases on an Aaron Rodgers commerce. It’s not too late to show again and supply Lamar Jackson a contract with over $230 million in assured cash that the Ravens would not match. Acquiring Jackson would prop the Jets’ window of rivalry open for no less than 4 or 5 seasons, if no more. Acquiring Rodgers would achieve this for 2 or three seasons, if that. At one level this offseason, Rodgers was had a mindset of being “90 % retired.” Doing the correct factor can generally be tough, nevertheless it’s at all times value it. Trading for Lamar Jackson as an alternative of Aaron Rodgers is the correct factor for the Jets.
