12 QBs Jets could pursue with Aaron Rodgers out: Kirk Cousins? Jameis Winston?

Aaron Rodgers’ 2023 season with the New York Jets is over after four snaps, the team confirming Tuesday afternoon that the Achilles injury the four-time league MVP suffered in Monday night's opener is a tear and will indeed end his season.

"I feel more for Aaron than anyone," head coach Robert Saleh reiterated a day after his team's thrilling 22-16 win against the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills.

But he was also defiant, expressing firm belief this seemingly star-crossed franchise can still be a major force this season – even without its brightest star.

"I don't know why people are trying to put an obituary to our team name," Saleh said of his 1-0 outfit, while doubling down on the faith he has in the 52 other players on New York's active roster.

It couldn't be a crueler twist of fate after Rodgers telegraphed his trade from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets last spring and seemed deeply rejuvenated by his change of scenery.

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But so much for sentiment. This is the NFL, and even when your franchise player goes down in Week 1 – on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 of all nights, Rodgers running onto the MetLife Stadium turf carrying the American flag in pregame introductions – it’s next man up today, when it’s time to figure out a way to beat the Dallas Cowboys and a ferocious defense that just wiped out the cross-state Giants 40-0 on Sunday night.

To that end, Saleh said Monday that Zach Wilson, the second overall pick of the 2021 draft who’s been so ineffective that the Jets pivoted to Rodgers, will take the reins – another stance he further buttressed Tuesday afternoon.

"I want to make it very clear, Zach's our quarterback," the third-year NYJ HC said. "We have a lot of faith in Zach. We're rolling with Zach and excited for him."

But there was really no other viable answer to give just hours after Rodgers crumpled or, certainly, even minutes after the Jets won on a punt return for a touchdown in overtime. And though Wilson looked generally improved Monday and throughout the preseason – low a bar as that was to clear – from the scattershot and skittish player who held this club back in 2022, how long can the Jets stick with him if another season starts going sideways despite the prodigious talent elsewhere on this roster?

Wilson’s arm talent and athleticism outstrip Rodgers’ at this point and are why the BYU product was drafted so high. If he’s finally able to leverage all of his ability, the Jets might just still be playoff caliber and on the track they hoped to be two years ago. And given his existing relationships with teammates and an offseason spent learning the offense and football nuances beyond that from AR8, there’s no reason for the Jets to be anything other than all in with Wilson.

Yet even if Rodgers’ mentorship has completely rekindled Wilson’s estimable potential, this team will likely still need a more capable backup than journeyman Tim Boyle – at minimum. So what Plan C QBs could Saleh and GM Joe Douglas find themselves discussing in the coming minutes, days and maybe weeks, regardless of their avowed confidence in Wilson?

Here are seven gainfully employed veterans – this year’s trade deadline lands on Halloween afternoon – and five free agents who should be worth considering:

Trade options

Teddy Bridgewater, Detroit Lions

You might remember he spent a preseason with the Jets in 2018 and was an immediate hit with teammates. But he was eventually traded to the Saints that summer when rookie Sam Darnold was named the starter. Bridgewater is a steady presence and respected leader, and his conservative approach with the ball might actually work well for a team that hasn’t benefited from Wilson’s all-too-frequent mistakes. Currently Jared Goff’s backup, Bridgewater will be a free agent after this season … and might be readily available if rookie Hendon Hooker’s recovery from a knee injury suffered at the University of Tennessee allows him to join the active roster sooner than later.

Jacoby Brissett, Washington Commanders

He’s started 48 NFL games as the quarterbacking version of a Band-Aid … and has won 18 and never appeared in the playoffs. Yet Brissett has almost been universally beloved in locker rooms he’s graced and has probably never been a member of a team, aside from the 2016 Patriots, as loaded as these Jets. With the veteran only under contract for this season, the Commanders could be incentivized to get something in return for him given they’ve cast their lot with sophomore Sam Howell.

Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers

He’s a valuable resource in Charlotte as a mentor and veteran example for this year’s No. 1 draft pick, Bryce Young. Dalton is also almost 36, and the Panthers are a team that could certainly benefit from reloading their draft coffers given the boatload of capital they surrendered to obtain Young. Dalton has never won a playoff game nor appeared in one in nearly a decade. But he did have another quietly solid season in 2022 after taking over as the starter in New Orleans. If Wilson comes unglued, Dalton could be a stabilizing fallback.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

He’s coming off a win as the Bucs’ first-year starter, yet is only signed through this season. Now on his fourth roster since the summer of 2022, pursuing Mayfield would probably only be a realistic option if Tampa’s season starts to spiral in conjunction with another implosion by Wilson. But if that’s the case, the Buccaneers could certainly use more draft assets in their post-TB12 reset, and moving on from Mayfield would give third-year QB Kyle Trask, who barely lost a training camp competition to the sixth-year vet, a bona fide opportunity.

Mitch Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers

He’s a bit of a luxury for a team that drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round a year ago and still has longtime backup Mason Rudolph. Trubisky, the first quarterback drafted in 2017 – misguided as that move was by the Bears – is a good athlete, the kind the Jets might need if their offensive line continues to be a sieve. He was also on the bus for two playoff trips with Chicago, even if he wasn’t necessarily driving it. He didn’t get much help in five starts last year before his inevitable demotion in favor of Pickett. Trubisky is under contract through 2025, and a cap hit approaching $10 million would be more than you’d want to take for a backup passer … unless it becomes worth the Steelers’ while.

Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints

He’s scheduled to collect dust behind Derek Carr for the next few months before reaching free agency. Winston won six of 10 starts in an odd, supposedly career-rehabilitating stint in the Big Easy and looked much more efficient. But knee and back injuries – and, of course, Carr’s arrival this offseason – suppressed any opportunity for Winston to resurrect himself. He could be an intriguing alternative if Wilson stalls and could probably be acquired for some beignets.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Maybe it’s pie in the sky, but let’s lay it out. He’s a free agent in 2024, and the Vikes opted not to extend him before the season. Minnesota is coming off a 2022 division title run – a charmed one with an inordinate amount of close-shave victories – but has purged quite a few veterans in a bid to lay the groundwork for the future. And if the Vikings get to mid-October and know they’re not going anywhere and, say, the Jets are scuffling along at 2-4 when their October 22 bye lands? Just saying, Monday was a reminder that the NFL’s “scripts” are wild, and you just can’t discount the possibility almost anything could transpire. (And say what you want about Cousins, but he’s plenty good enough to get a squad with the Jets’ caliber of personnel into the postseason.)

Free agents

Chase Daniel

He’s been in the league since 2009, most recently Justin Herbert’s backup for the Los Angeles Chargers, and so trustworthy that he’s raked in more than $40 million in career earnings while starting all of five games. Daniel won’t win the Super Bowl, but his experience with multiple offenses could make him a better backstop than Boyle despite the latter’s familiarity with OC Nathaniel Hackett’s offense.

Joe Flacco

The Super Bowl 47 MVP has no familiarity with Hackett’s playbook … but has been a member of the Jets for most of the previous three seasons. Flacco passed for 900 yards while Wilson was out with a knee injury to start the 2022 season and threw four TD passes in a stunning 31-30 Week 2 win at Cleveland. He’s still got a cannon and can win you a few games … assuming the Jets could protect him better than they did Rodgers.

Matt Ryan

The 2016 league MVP spent Sunday in a CBS booth still suffering digs about his Atlanta Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51 – little fault of Ryan’s incidentally. His mind is still sharp, even if his 2022 stint with the Colts spotlighted diminished physical skills. Talented as Wilson is, Ryan could be tempting if Douglas and Saleh ultimately decide an experienced game manager is a preferable short-term solution.

Carson Wentz

The 2017 almost-league MVP still possesses titillating tools even though his next team would be his fourth in four seasons. His decision-making and, apparently, locker room presence have been problematic in past stops, but Wentz could frankly translate as a more seasoned, superior version of Wilson.

Tom Brady

You gotta call him, right? The five-time Super Bowl MVP will never be more vulnerable than he is just days after the Patriots put him out to pasture. Right? And the Jets need to extract payback after Darrelle Revis won a Lombardi Trophy for Bill Belichick, yeah? (Yes, this scenario seems orders of magnitude removed from the bounds of reality. But stranger things have happened, and the Jets would be crazy to not at least do their due diligence and offer TB12 what would be the greatest football mountain he’s never attempted to scale.)

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.