Jets owner Woody Johnson takes shot at Zach Wilson: ‘We need a backup QB. We didn’t have one last year’

The New York Jets essentially didn’t have a chance without Aaron Rodgers last season, so losing him four snaps into the year didn’t help matters. New York and Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle behind Rodgers, but neither were able to help them get to the playoffs.

Jets owner and CEO Woody Johnson prioritized the position, admitting the team needs to upgrade behind Rodgers at the NFL Honors on Thursday. 

“We need a backup quarterback,” Johnson said, via the New York Post. “We didn’t have one last year.”

The Jets decided that Wilson was a more than capable backup for Rodgers in 2023, and Wilson ended up completing 60.1% of his passes with 6.2 yards per attempt for a 77.2 passer rating. The Jets were 32nd in touchdown passes (11) and passer rating (70.5), showing they didn’t have a No. 2 quarterback in case Rodgers went down with an injury. 

They need a better backup signal-caller in 2024, whether Rodgers is healthy the whole year or not. The Wilson experiment is over as his days are numbered with the team. The Jets have just under $5 million in cap space, but they can improve the position for 2024. 

While an insurance policy is needed, this can all be avoided if Rodgers plays 17 games.