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Mike White is the current man of interest. Is he, though, the man of the future?
Jets fans are pondering if the 27-year-old career backup quarterback, who performed well in his season debut against the Bears on Sunday, may have potential.
If White continues to perform as he did on Sunday and the Jets continue to win, White will have a case to be the starting quarterback for the 2023 season. But… there is still a long way to go before that may occur. There are still six games remaining in the Jets’ season, including crucial road contests against the Vikings, Bills, Seahawks, and Dolphins. Then there is the matter of whether or not White can lead the Jets to the playoffs and whether or not they can win many postseason games.
All of these factors will affect the Jets’ offseason decisions. But the year is 2022. We cannot wait for the outcome. Let’s gaze into the future and try to forecast who the Jets’ starting quarterback will be in September 2023.
Here are our contenders and their chances of landing the job:
Zach Wilson — three to one
Zach Wilson is now on the bench, but Robert Saleh has not ruled out the chance that the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 may start again this season.
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It appears like everyone has already written off Wilson, but stand back and consider the overall picture. A year ago, the Jets chose him second overall and offered him a $35 million deal. His contract has two years remaining. Despite recent developments, Wilson appears to be the most plausible candidate to start next season.
Listen to what Robert Saleh recently stated. He does not close the chapter on Wilson. Wilson is expected to play again this season. They continue to support Wilson.
It is not difficult to imagine a situation in which the Jets convince everyone that Wilson is fixed for the upcoming season and regains his position at the top of the depth chart. Wilson, unlike everyone else on this list, is under contract with the Jets through 2023. This provides him an advantage, even though it is hard to believe at the moment.
Jimmy Garoppolo — 5 to 1
This seems almost too apparent to actually occur. Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur are familiar with Garoppolo from their time together with the 49ers. Everyone on the coaching staff has nothing but praise for Garoppolo. After a strange year in San Francisco, the 31-year-old is about to enter free agency. When he renegotiated his contract with the 49ers prior to the season, it was stipulated that he could not be franchise-tagged or transferred, making free agency inevitable.
Jimmy Garoppolo might put the 49ers in a difficult position if he leads San Francisco to the Super Bowl as an approaching free agency.
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The only thing preventing Garoppolo from entering the free agent market is if the 49ers win the Super Bowl. This may halt the 49ers’ Trey Lance plan and compel them to re-sign Garoppolo.
If he does reach free agency, the Jets might be among the most enthusiastic suitors for a guy who could be eligible for a lucrative deal.
Mike White – six to one
If you are a captive of the present, you are willing to sign White to a monstrous, long-term contract. Slow down. Sunday, White played well against a poor Bears defense. The Jets have a long way to go before naming White their future starting quarterback. A few months ago, it was uncertain if White would survive training camp or whether the team would choose Chris Streveler over him.
White is playing on a restricted free agency contract for $2.5 million, thus he is about to become an unrestricted free agent. He may play his way to a lucrative deal. Unless he goes on a very insane run over the next two months, he should not be as pricey as some of the other free agent quarterbacks. If this occurs, the Jets will have advanced far in the playoffs. That is an issue for which they would volunteer in an instant.
Derek Carr — 20 to 1
People within the Jets will occasionally reference Carr as an example of what they hope Wilson can become. They refer to a quarterback who is effective and capable of winning games, but who is not necessarily among the top quarterbacks in football. Carr has enjoyed a successful career with the Raiders, but it appears that this may be coming to a close.
The Raiders may have 29 million reasons to release Derek Carr immediately following the conclusion of the season.
The Raiders have struggled this season, and Josh McDaniels may like to bring in his own quarterback of choice. They won’t have much time to decide about Carr. The Raiders must release him before February, when his 2023 contract becomes guaranteed, in order to save $29 million in cap space.
Carr could flourish in LaFleur’s playbook and would be the ideal quarterback for a defense-led squad.
Aaron Rodgers — one to one
Although I believe there is no probability of this happening, I am frequently questioned about it. Let’s begin with the agreement. The Packers cannot release him without incurring a $68 million salary cap penalty. If they trade him, it must occur after June 1 for the finances to work. Therefore, the acquiring team will not have him in the spring.
Then, we will discuss the LaFleur factor. If the Packers and Rodgers opt to divorce, his relationship with Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur will be a major plot point. You believe Rodgers will then want to join the Jets to play under LaFleur’s younger brother.
Once, the Jets acquired a renowned, aged Packers quarterback. I don’t see that occurring again.
After trading Russell Wilson, former Jets quarterback Geno Smith has the Seahawks surprise in postseason contention.
Sam Darnold or Geno Smith — one billion to one
Several former Jets quarterbacks are expected to enter free agency. A reunion? No way.
Line-man
John Benton, offensive line coach for the New York Jets, deserves recognition as one of the season’s unsung heroes. The offensive line has been plagued by injuries throughout the whole season, but has performed admirably with a few exceptions.
Consider the offensive line at the beginning of training camp, when it appeared as follows:
LT — George Fant
LG — Laken Tomlinson C — Connor McGovern RG — Alijah Vera-Tucker RT — Mekhi Becton
Currently, only Tomlinson and McGovern are playing. Becton and Vera-Tucker will not play again this season. Fant is attempting to return off injured reserve.
Consider all the moving parts with which Benton has had to deal. At the start of camp, he reassigned Becton and Vera-Tucker to new places. Then, when the team signed Duane Brown, Fant was shifted to right tackle. In 2021, Vera-Tucker did not play the position he played in three previous seasons.
John Benton has fashioned a serviceable offensive line for the Jets, despite a slew of injuries and position changes.
William Kostrou
Three different left tackles, three different right guards, and four different right tackles have started for the Jets (if you go back to the beginning of camp).
The offensive line has not been flawless, but it has performed well (ranked 16th in sacks allowed and blocking for a rushing attack that averages 114.6 yards per game), especially considering the amount of turnover the team has experienced. Benton merits recognition for his efforts this season.
Statistics is so
On Sunday, Mike White passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns vs the Bears. Seven times in the last 10 seasons (2013-22), a quarterback for the Jets has passed for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns. White has accomplished this feat twice. The following list is in chronological order:
Dec. 28, 2014 (at Dolphins, W): Geno Smith threw for 358 yards and three touchdowns with 20-25 completion percentage.
26 November 2017 (against. Panthers, L): Josh McCown threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns with 19-36 completion percentage.
23 December 2018 (at. Packers, L): Sam Darnold: 341 yards, 3 TDs, 24-35 completion percentage.
October 31, 2021 (at. Bengals, W): Mike White – 405 yards, 3 touchdowns, 37-45 completion percentage.
4 November 2021 (at Colts, L): Josh Johnson — 317 yards, 3 touchdowns, 27-41 completion percentage.
18 September 2022 (at Browns, W): Joe Flacco: 307 yards, 4 touchdowns, 26-44 completion percentage.
27 November 2022 (at. Bears, W): Mike White: 315 yards, 3 touchdowns, 22-28 completion percentage.
The origin: Stathead
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