Should Aaron Rodgers decide to play for another season in 2025 or walk away from an incredible NFL career – the New York Jets must still look for their long-term answer at quarterback.
While Rodgers’ play improved in their ‘Thursday Night Football’ win over the Houston Texans, the quarterback’s production has dipped this season with him set to turn 41 next month. Some have argued that the Jets should cut him if he does not retire, with many believing the latter to be the likely scenario.
The Jets have one of the strongest rosters on paper in the entire NFL, and they should not waste that if Rodgers decides to walk away from the sport.
Mirror US Sports has compiled four quarterbacks who the Jets will be considering and evaluating this offseason should they be without Rodgers next season.
While this year’s draft could see as many as five quarterbacks being taken in the first round, it should be noted that the class is seen as significantly weaker than those in recent years. Shedeur Sanders is likely to be the first quarterback taken in the class, with the Jets likely to be unable to select him unless they make a big move up the board. But with so many intriguing prospects eligible – including Ward.
Had Ward entered the draft last year, it’s likely that he would have been a sixth-round pick after his time with Washington State. But transferring to Miami has been a masterstroke from the 22-year-old – with the Hurricanes’ offense getting the best out of his skillset with 29 passing touchdowns in nine games.
Ward throws with great touch and shows incredible pocket awareness to keep the play alive, but teams may worry about his ability to play in structure while his funky passing mechanics lead to bad throws. But if he’s available when the Jets pick, they might have to select him – even if Rodgers does not retire.
A player who has been compared to Aaron Rodgers’, Texas’ Quinn Ewers might be the best pure passing quarterback in the NFL Draft in 2025. Ewers’ ability to flick his wrist and get the ball where it needs to be is something to behold – regularly making NFL-calibre throws.
Ewers’ quick release allows him to make throws that many quarterbacks just simply cannot – while throwing with impressive touch on his deep balls. But he does have a few fundamental errors he needs to work on, with his decision-making leading to frustrating mistakes when under pressure for the Longhorns this past season.
Having him sit for a year under Rodgers would be the perfect scenario for Ewers, but the Jets could be in a great spot having him compete with the likes of Tyrod Taylor and Jordan Travis should the veteran QB opt to retire.
While the Colts have stated that they will turn back to Richardson after benching him for the rest of the season, history has shown that this is unlikely to happen. No quarterback drafted in the top 10 since 2000 has lost their starting role with the team that drafted them before going on to reclaim it for over a season.
With Richardson’s stock at an all-time low, the Jets could offer a day-two pick in the hopes of bringing him to the team and competing with Travis for the starting position.
A player with immense physical traits and a cannon of a right arm, the NFL has not seen an athlete of Richardson’s caliber at the quarterback position since Cam Newton. While he has mechanical passing issues that he must work on this off-season, Richardson is worth taking a risk on.
