Surely, the New York Jets already have a veteran QB lined up to replace Aaron Rodgers … right?
If not, the Jets may have erred in moving on from Rodgers, who is still capable of playing winning football, even at the advanced age of 41.
The best non-Rodgers option for New York as far as a veteran is concerned might be a 36-year-old, four-time Pro Bowler currently under contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
As Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport wrote on Monday, Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins might be wearing a Jets uniform next season.
“The Jets hired former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman as a senior football adviser,” Davenport wrote.
“And as the Rodgers news was breaking, it didn’t take long for pundits … to start connecting the dots between Spielman and Kirk Cousins as a potential option for New York.”
“Cousins isn’t an option that will inspire a ton of enthusiasm from fans. After a decent start to the season with the Falcons in 2024, he tied for the NFL lead in interceptions and was benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.”
“But the 36-year-old was coming off an Achilles tear and also played through elbow and shoulder injuries. And with a no-trade clause in his contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on NFL Live that he expects the Falcons to eat a big dead cap hit of their own and release Cousins.”
“If New York could get Cousins to agree to play for the Jets for a modest amount while being paid by the Falcons a la Wilson a year ago, that could be a best-case scenario for the team where a short-term veteran is concerned.”
It’s presumed that if the Jets were to snag Cousins, they’d also select a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft to invest in.
Cousins would be a curious pickup for New York, as many Jets fans would simply argue that retaining Rodgers would have been a better version of bringing in the veteran from Atlanta.
In due time, New York’s strategy at QB should become more clear.
