The Jets Will Continue To Be Losers Until They Get A Decent QB
Mark Sanchez.
Geno Smith.
Christian Hackenberg.
Sam Darnold.
Zach Wilson.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."
-Albert Einstein
The Jets have now missed the playoffs for 12 seasons in a row. For most of those dozen seasons, they have trotted out a shitty quarterback who was drafted with an early round draft pick. Because of that draft investment, it takes the Jets a couple seasons before they move on to the next shitty QB they draft. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Lose, lose, lose.
Who can we blame? Since the Jets last made the playoffs, there have been four head coaches and just as many general managers. The only constant has been Woody Johnson as owner but even he took a hiatus when he was ambassador to England during this dozen year odyssey. I used to mock fans who said the Jets were cursed because I don't believe in supernatural shit. However, after enough different people fail each year, I now keep my mouth shut when the topic of sorcery and spells come up.
The most frustrating part of all of this is it's the same fucking problem every year. Some Jets teams have more talent than others. From 2016-18, you could have had Joe Montana in his peak and he still wasn't going to get the Jets to the playoffs. Same with 2014 and 2020.Those teams were just awful. But in 2009-11 and this year's squad all had very good to great defenses. If they had a good (not great. Just good.) QB, they may have had a couple Super Bowl appearances in those four seasons. Hell, they got to the AFC Championship twice with Mark Sanchez.
Lately, they just keep taking the wrong guy. In 2018, they grab Sam Darnold when Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are available. In 2021, it's Zach Wilson instead of Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones. I don't even like Mac Jones very much but if he was on the Jets this year, they are a playoff team.
I have to believe this is a lie planted by the Jets to make them seem less desperate to get rid of Wilson when they start talking trades with other teams. There is no plausible way they can go into the season next year with Zack Wilson as QB1. For whatever reason, the Jets are allergic to signing or trading for a decent veteran QB since Brett Favre. Other then being the bridesmaid in the Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes and the short-lived Fitz Magic Era, it's been a series of homegrown disasters. This needs to change immediately.
Lamar Jackson is a free agent but he'll almost certainly be franchise tagged. Jimmy Garoppolo and Geno Smith are also free agents. I'm all set seeing Geno back in green and white but I'd love to see Jimmy G. He's exactly what this team could use. He's a fantastic game manager and with this defense, that's all the Jets need to be competitive. So that's one option. There's also the trade route. Could Aaron Rogers be another option?
They have to do something this off-season. The Jets have long held onto draft picks (unless they piss them away trading up for Darnold and Sanchez) but at some point, you have to make some sacrifices to get a good quarterback. It's one thing to be a lousy franchise but at least stop making the same mistake.
Don't worry about collecting receipts. I don't care about Rex Ryan having a foot fetish or the crazy faces Adam Gase made. You want to get to the playoffs? It's easy. GET A DECENT QUARTERBACK!