None
Barring a shocking emergence from Bryce Petty where he completely balls out over the next six weeks, the Jets will go into the 2017 season the same way as they always do: without a solid option at the quarterback position. It’s safe to say Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith will be gone in a heartbeat, and if Petty lays an egg going forward, he could be headed with them. That leaves one quarterback on the roster in Christian Hackenberg. The Jets reached for Hackenberg in the second round of the 2016 draft despite doubts surrounding his potential, including Pro Football Focus writing that they thought he should have gone undrafted.
That leaves the Jets with three options at quarterback. The first is to ride it out with Hackenberg and see what he can do, despite reports that he is still nowhere near ready and is using this year as a “redshirt year.” The second is to try to find a quarterback in the draft, a process the Jets have found little success in since 1965. Moreover, this class of quarterbacks doesn’t offer much promise either. DeShone Kizer is the top quarterback prospect despite his team not even being bowl eligible at 4-7. Mitch Trubisky has shown promise, but only has one year of experience and played the absolute worst a quarterback can play against Virginia Tech. Then there’s Deshaun Watson, last year’s Heisman trophy candidate who is the biggest name of any of the quarterbacks, but has turnover issues and is graded by some as a prospect similar to Teddy Bridgewater and more suitable for the second round. Collectively, they may represent a group of second round guys who will be drafted early because they’re quarterbacks.
With options one and two looking less than promising, the Jets might turn to a veteran quarterback to fill the gap while they search for a true franchise quarterback. If Mike Maccagnan chooses to go this route, he would have to plug his ears to not hear the name “Tony Romo” buzzing around. Should the Cowboys release him, Romo is the obvious best quarterback on the market. Dallas won’t continue to pay him top quarterback money to warm the bench for Dak Prescott, and trading him will cause the Cowboys to incur a $19.6 million cap charge. By releasing him, that charge would be $10.7 million, not a measly sum by any stretch, but the most affordable option for a franchise chasing greatness.
Signing Romo is an obvious risk for New York. Romo will be 37 years old in April, coming off a compression fracture, three broken collarbones, two transverse process fractures, and a ruptured disk in his back. If some quarterbacks are red flags, Romo is a red cape being held by a matador and waved in front of an angry bull. So why would the Jets ever sign him? There’s only one reason. If Maccagnan believes that his team is in win-now mode, then Romo is the move. The Jets do not look or play like a playoff team, but they are a franchise quarterback and an offensive lineman away from having a top offense with the weapons they have. Romo might be old and injury prone, but when he is on the field, he has been a consistently proficient quarterback throughout his career. In his last full season, Romo threw for over 3700 yards and 34 touchdowns with only 9 interceptions, and with a top receiving corps in Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Quincy Enunwa, those numbers are easily replicable in New York.
Romo suited up for the first time this afternoon, showing signs of recovery from his back injury suffered in August.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The issue with acquiring Romo is that it would put a lot of pressure on one year. If Maccagnan believes that the Jets can make a playoff run with Romo then the move makes sense, but if that vision doesn’t come to fruition, New York has effectively wasted another year without finding their quarterback of the future. Other big name quarterbacks in free agency include Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick. But they would truly be bridge quarterbacks as neither would figure to lead this team to the playoffs.
Signing Romo might also be a savvy move by Maccagnan because it could save him and Bowles their jobs. Next season is a make or break year, especially for Bowles, and if the Jets can win games with Romo at quarterback, that could save his job. Bowles might also want Romo because the two have history in Dallas. Bowles was an assistant for the Cowboys from 2005-2007, and has praised Romo in the past.
Whether acquiring Tony Romo is a smart move or not, there is legitimate concern that the Cowboys’ backup quarterback won’t want to play in New York. While New York is a lucrative market that he would have no trouble handling himself in, Romo has never been able to win in the playoffs, and he might not see that opportunity in New York, whereas other destinations such as Houston and Denver offer more promising results, including a possible Super Bowl with the Broncos.
Of course, Romo to the Jets is just a rumor swirling around right now with no indication that this is a possibility, but when the offseason comes and the Cowboys part ways with their long time quarterback, the name “Tony Romo” will certainly be making its way around New York, like it or not.
