Last year, the New York Jets were a game away from making their first playoff berth since the 2010 season. New York was led all season by strong quarterback play from Ryan Fitzpatrick. That same quarterback was largely blamed for the Jets not taking care of business in Buffalo, due to throwing three costly interceptions.
Now the Jets are in an interesting position moving forward, as Fitzpatrick is holding out from resigning with New York this season. Fitzpatrick last week had been quoted saying he would rather quit, than play for the $7 million the Jets are offering him.
From @AdamSchefter: Ryan Fitzpatrick has told people he would “rather not play football” than play for the #Jets at their contract offer.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) April 28, 2016
The Jets have depth at the quarterback position, if they are unable to work out a deal with Fitzpatrick. Geno Smith is the next quarterback up with the most experience as a starter. Many thought that Smith was going to have a good year last year, before he got his jaw broken by Ik Enemkpali over a dispute about $600. This raised questions about his leadership and maturity. Regardless of the character issues, Smith has tallied 5,836 yards, 27 TDs and 35 INTs in 31 games for the Jets.
Last season the Jets drafted Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty, with the 103rd pick overall in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Petty did not see any action last season, but is still regarded as a good molding piece moving towards the future. The second year quarterback is widely known for his strong arm and football intangibles.
Then in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Jets shocked a lot of people by selecting Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg has tremendous upside and was taken in the second round with the 51st overall pick. However with drafting a potential fourth quarterback on the roster, it raises obvious concerns in New York.
How are you supposed to develop wasted pick Bryce Petty when you are developing Christian Hackenberg?
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 30, 2016
Jets’ GM Mike Maccagnan on a WFAN radio interview was quoted saying, “In a perfect world, I think if it’s in the best interest of the team at the end of training camp that we carry four quarterbacks, then we carry four quarterbacks. It’s not unprecedented in the NFL. It’s been done before. To me, it’s a position where you have to take some time to really invest, grow, and develop players.”
The possibility of the Jets having four quarterbacks in the 2016 season is very possible. However, everything is based off the decision between the Jets and Fitzpatrick. The Jets will undoubtedly take a huge drop in talent if Fitzpatrick does not reach a contract agreement. The pressure will really start to mount as training camp gets closer for New York. The key thing to watch is if Fitzpatrick does not resign, which of the three remaining quarterbacks are going to win the starting job.
Barry Holmes is a Senior Writer for PureSportsNY.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732
(Featured Photo Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya)