During an NFL season when so few quarterbacks made it through with a clean bill of health, many teams quickly found out the importance of having a good backup quarterback. Second-stringers like Jake Browning and Gardner Minshew nearly led their teams to playoff berths thanks to their strong play while Joe Flacco did lead the Cleveland Browns to the postseason.
In all, 66 NFL quarterbacks started a game this season — tying the record for a non-strike season — and now many teams will be looking to improve at the quarterback position entering the 2024 season. The dream for NFL teams will be to acquire a Pro Bowl-level veteran like Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson, or to trade up and draft a future franchise pillar like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. But that is not a realistic outcome for most NFL teams, who lack the draft capital and/or salary cap space to acquire a top QB or a high draft pick.
For teams with less wiggle room, there will be many mid-to-lower-tier quarterbacks available this offseason. New England Patriots QB Mac Jones lost his starting job this season and has one more year on his rookie deal.
A change of scenery could be just what he needs to jump-start his career. Chicago Bears signal-caller Justin Fields could also be on the trading block. Taken in the same draft class as Jones, Fields also has one year left on his rookie contract and the Bears must decide whether to extend him to draft their QB of the future.
One intriguing name that has popped up in trade conversations is Zach Wilson of the New York Jets. Given his status as the #2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson’s career up to this point would be considered a bust. But Wilson performed admirably when called upon in a difficult situation this year. He cut his interception rate by one-third and posted the best passer rating of his career.
Wilson did so while being the third-most sacked QB in the NFL (in only 12 starts), having no receiving talent outside of Garrett Wilson, and leading an offense that lost 18 fumbles on the year (most in the league).
Given the right circumstances, Wilson could be a solid starter or at the very least an above-average backup. Here are a few teams that should consider trading for the Jets QB.
READ MORE…
