Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans to target in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 32 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2020, while it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep others around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do in his first offseason on the job.

Trevor Siemian’s 2019 season came to an abrupt end when he suffered a gruesome lower leg injury in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. He didn’t get the chance to show much a year ago, but that doesn’t mean he brings no value to the table. Should the Jets bring the veteran back for another season as Sam Darnold’s backup? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

Pros of keeping him

Siemian’s 2019 season essentially ended before it could really begin. That will likely play a major role in Douglas’ decision, but New York’s first-year general manager needs to take a step back and ignore the injury that landed him on injured reserve before coming to any sort of conclusion.

Siemian knows Adam Gase’s system relatively well after spending a whole year at One Jets Drive. The Jets still need a veteran in the building to help Darnold along in his development. Considering his familiarity with New York’s offense, Siemian could be that guy for another season.

Cons of keeping him

It’s tough to evaluate Siemian’s performance in 2019 considering his season lasted less than one half of football, but his past performances as a starter with the Denver Broncos indicate the Jets could possibly upgrade behind Darnold in free agency.

Siemian is also coming off a major injury. Is it really worth keeping a backup who missed a whole season when Douglas could opt for a second-string signal caller with a cleaner bill of health and more upside?

The verdict

Siemian was good for Darnold, but that is not enough to save his job in this situation. This would likely be a much different debate if Siemian did not get hurt, but it’s not like he was a world-beater when healthy anyway.

Expect the Jets to have a new quarterback holding down the No. 2 spot on the depth chart next season.