5 backup quarterbacks the Jets could sign with Aaron Rodgers out for the season

If the Jets want someone who knows the playbook, they’re in luck. Unless they want someone young.

It wasn’t quite a worst case scenario for the New York Jets in Week 1, but it was close. Aaron Rodgers only lasted four plays in his franchise debut before being helped off the field due to a lower leg injury. He was taken to the locker room, and while x-rays were reportedly negative, he was ruled out for the rest of an important opening week showdown with the Buffalo Bills.

An MRI awaits, and it’s unclear just how much more time, if any, the four-time MVP will miss. If he’s out for an extended stretch, it’s a problem.

The team’s backup is Zach Wilson. The third-year pro brings two seasons of starting experience to the lineup but also an 8-14 record, 15:19 touchdown/interception ratio and the lingering knowledge that, yep, his teammates were the ones very publicly clamoring for the team to replace him with Rodgers, then celebrating the four-time MVP’s arrival.

Wilson knows the playbook and will be the team’s top quarterback should Rodgers miss multiple starts. Per head coach Robert Saleh, that’s the current plan.

After him, things get murky.

There’s a third-string option on the practice squad. Tim Boyle began his career as Rodgers’ backup for three seasons despite an underwhelming college resume that saw him compile a 12:26 touchdown/interception ratio at noted quarterback academies Connecticut and Eastern Kentucky. He has been similarly unimpressive as a pro (0-3 as a starter, 55.8 passer rating).

This leaves space for the Jets to add a veteran quarterback as an insurance policy for Wilson, who has missed a dozen games his first two seasons thanks to a combination of injury and incompetence. The pickings on the current free agent and practice squad market are thin, however. So who stands out among the dregs?

Update, 9/12: Aaron Rodgers is out for the season with a torn Achilles.