Should the Jets bench Zach Wilson? Evaluating Jets' QB options as they away Aaron Rodgers return

The Jets have a plethora of issues to fix before they can become a consistently competitive football team. The blame has been put on several different figures within the organization, but hardly any one person has come under more fire than quarterback Zach Wilson.

Many have called for a change at quarterback, though one has not taken place since Wilson re-took the reins in the place of an injured Aaron Rodgers.

The question is whether it's actually time to pull the plug on Wilson or if this is simply an overreaction by people who think they know more than they actually do.

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The Sporting News looks at the Jets' options as they ponder their quarterback situation: 

Should the Jets bench Zach Wilson?

One of Wilson's biggest issues since joining the league has been constantly trying to play "hero ball." At BYU, one of his greatest assets was improvisation ability, something that's highly touted in the NFL. Wilson has always been solid at making plays out of structure and that was particularly advantageous for the Cougars. 

But it's easy to argue looking at the film and the situations he's been in since going to the NFL that Wilson is trying to do a bit too much. That boils down to the fact he comes from an area where solid offensive line recruits are sparse and has been forced to play the majority of his career with a lack of pass protection. As he has transitioned to the pro game, the Jets' offensive line hasn't exactly been great either.

While words are just words until any action follows them up, it is important to note how head coach Robert Saleh has been defending Wilson.

"Sometimes it's very obvious when you turn on the all-22 that the quarterback is just incapable," Saleh said in an appearance on "The Michael Kay Show". "That's just not the case here. There are so many things that everybody needs to get better at, including the quarterback."

This is a narrative Saleh has held strongly to over recent weeks.

"If it was just him, it would be something worth discussing," Saleh told reporters in a recent press conference. "But this is a collective issue that we all need to get on the same page with, whether it's dropped balls, players being where they're supposed to be, executing the way we need to execute, calling plays that need to be called, putting players in positions that they need to be put into. That's all of us.

"Yes, he has a lot of things that he needs to improve, and I know he understands that. At the same time, this is collective."

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Zach Wilson stats 2023

One of the biggest points of controversy outside of Wilson's performance on the field alone has been what he's put up on the stat sheet -- the numbers don't always marry with how strong or weak of a performance he had.

To this point in the season, he holds a 59.9% completion rate, passing for 1,600 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions. Here's a look into the game-by-game breakdown.

2021 NFL Draft QB class performances

Wilson was a part of what was deemed to be one of the strongest draft classes at quarterback over recent history at the time. And while some of have called it lackluster overall with some disappointments within it, in all reality, it's still early to draw any solid conclusions given it's only been a couple of years.

Here's a look into how each of those quarterbacks drafted in the first three rounds alongside Wilson have performed on the stat sheet in 2023. Some of these players have not seen the field this season.

Jets quarterback options

If the Jets do make the decision to bench Wilson, their post-trade deadline options for the short-term are limited.

However, with Rodgers presumably set to step back into the starting role by next season at the latest, the Jets could look to shore up the depth behind him this offseason so they aren't in this situation again. 

Here's a look at a few names that would make sense:

Immediate options

Tim Boyle

This is the simplest option for the Jets with Boyle serving as the backup while Rodgers is on injured reserve. Saleh has indicated before that he believes Wilson is the best quarterback they have on the roster, so a move to Boyle would reflect a change in that evaluation.

Colt McCoy

Given where we are now with the trade deadline, etc., the Jets will have to wait before making a major move for the long-term if they choose to go that route. One thing the team could do immediately, though, is to sign McCoy. 

McCoy showed strong upside when he played in four games with three starts for the Cardinals in 2022. McCoy, 37, completed just shy of 80% of his passes, and was originally expected to be the starter in place of an injured Kyler Murray to start this season before Arizona opted for Joshua Dobbs.

Longer-term options

Jacoby Brissett 

The journeyman Brissett lost out to Sam Howell in the Commanders' battle for the No. 1 gig this year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him move on after the season. 

Last year, with the Browns, Brissett completed 64% of his passes for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Carson Wentz

Another veteran with starting experience the Jets could look to as a safety net next season, Wentz just signed with the Rams as Matthew Stafford remains sidelined by injury. Over seven games as the starter for Washington last season, Wentz threw for 1,755 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.