The final ranking of all 42 New York Jets quarterbacks since 1990 (2023)

I wish I had the brains of a goldfish to really get excited about the prospect of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. I know that IoughtBe delighted: The 2022 Jets had an elite defense and an exciting young offensive core and missed the playoffs simply because they had the worst quarterback job in the NFL. Now they have a guest who has won two of the last three MVP awards. resolved byX, and alllooksto make it great. You sawhard knocks? It makes me want to walk through the wall! Did you read that Rodgers was a good teammate for the first time in a long time? Even the salary was lowered!

But in my life as a Jets fan, I've played against skilled quarterbacks.Alwayshe was the missing piece of the puzzle and all attempts to find him had failed. They traded quarterbacks and failed. They tried to fail and draft several times, but not a single first-round pick failed. They recruited veterans and tried to develop the youth, but failed. This isn't even the first time they've traded for a disgruntled Packer late in his career with multiple MVPs and a Super Bowl ring. (The first one missed.) Lucy took the ball from Charlie Brown every time; Jets quarterbacks throw it to members of the other Patriots team every time.

Since I was born in 1990, the Jets have ranked 30th out of 32 teams in touchdown rate, steals, yards per attempt, and completion percentage. Most of the Jets' passing records are still held by Joe Namath, who set many before his AFL team merged with the NFL. He remains the only Jets quarterback to pass 4,000 yards in a season, a remarkable stat considering seasons consisted of 14 games when Namath set that record in 1967, and he now has 17 games. Only seven Jets quarterbacks have had winning records as starters, and only one of them (Vinny Testaverde) has more than four games over .500.

two years ago iranked by any Bears quarterbacksince winning the Super Bowl in 1985. Like another team whose few successes were due to the strength of an elite defense, and was otherwise defined by terrible quarterback play, the Jets were the next logical choice. In fact, in the Super Bowl era, the Jets and Bears rank 31st and 32nd with the most walkers, respectively.

Now that I've compiled this Jets list, I'd like to apologize for the emotional trauma I had to inflict on Chicago fans two years ago. Studying Bears quarterbacks was a fun assignment for me because I was learning all the trivia and stories behind one bad quarterback after another. Writing the Jets version was like crawling through a dark maze of repressed football memories. I thought knowing the bad times would make me more excited about the Jets' potentially bright future. Instead, I can't see Rodgers without imagining the ghost of Brooks Bollinger behind him.

I've decided to follow roughly the same, though far from scientific, pattern of my Bears quarterback rankings, with one major adjustment:

• We rated 42 players who were given a score from 0 to 42 on a sliding scale, based on the number of touchdown passes scored for the Jets. It's a way of reflecting how well these quarterbacks performed specifically for the Jets. For example, Chad Pennington had the second most touchdowns by any Jets quarterback since 1990, earning him 41 points. If a QB on this list had no passes for the Jets, he would score 0 points.
• Point guards received between 0 and 42 points for their placement on the Pro Football Benchmark Career Rough List. This is one way of measuring the overall success of a player's career. If a player had a career AV of 0, he did not receive any points in that category.
• The point guards received one point for each victory as a starter for the Jets. As a quarterback, I know the problems of wins, but look: quarterbacks who played wins made me happy and those who played losses made me sad. So points for the win.
• Players receive one achievement bonus point if, at any point in their career before or after joining the Jets, they won a Super Bowl start, won a Pro Bowl or First Team All-Pro title, or led the league in an important tournament. statistical division. I ranked the Bears five points for each of these feats, but the Bears had fewer players with notable pro honors. In this case, Brett Favre would score 125 points in those categories alone, which would be enough to rank the No. 1. 1 Jet, despite having played just one awkward season in New York. Did I make this change specifically to prevent Favre from being in the first place? Yes absolutely. Because? Because pepper Favre, that's why.
• Five extra points are awarded for each quarterback who reaches any of these Jets team milestones or sets a Jets record in a single season or franchise. Unfortunately, Namath still holds most of these franchise records.
• I also awarded 1 bonus point to the only player on this list to win a championship in the Canadian Soccer League.
• I used 1985 as the starting date for the Bears because that's when they won the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Jets haven't won a Super Bowl since my dad was in grade school. I decided to use 1990, the year of my birth, so that readers can fully understand how much psychological damage I suffered. Players who began their careers with the Jets prior to 1990 included the entire Jets career total.
• While I don't count the non-QBs who trick-throwed passes to the Jets, the Jets did.Threeplayers who moved from quarterback to other positions during their careers. I put all three on this list.
• In the event of a tie, quarterbacks are ranked based on how much I hate them.

42. Klif Kingsbury

Total Points: 0
Jets de touchdowns: 0
Stroke Off: 0
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

Best known as a record-breaking college quarterback and a deeply frustrating head coach, Kingsbury made only two passes in the NFL, both during a 2005 loss to the Jets. offensive genius, as head coach in the 2019 offseason before he accepted the Cardinals job; I'd say "the bullet just dodged", but they hired Adam Gase instead.

41. Chris Streveler

Total Points: 1
Jets de touchdowns: 0
Stroke Off: 0
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 1 (won CFL championship)

The only thing that's more like the Jets than honestly believing their fourth-string quarterback is better than the guy they recently drafted second, turns out they're right. With the Jets on the brink of the 2022 playoffs, Zach Wilson turned his attentionweek 16Thursday night footballgnomeagainst Jaguars. After backup Mike White and third forward Joe Flacco were injured, the Jets moved Wilson to Streveler's bench.former CFL champion. He far outscored Wilson, and the Jets gained more yards on Streveler's three passing yards (144) than they did on Wilson's three quarters (93). However, the Jets still lost 19-3; Streveler was recently released and no longer appears on the team.

40. Lukász Falk

Total Points: 6
Jets de touchdowns: 0
AV Race: 1 (T-38., 6 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

By my stupid semi-objective formula, Falk isn't last on the list, but I think he's the worst Jets point guard I've ever seen. Falk was forced out a week into the 2019 season after Sam Darnold contracted mononupia and replacement Trevor Siemian suffered an ankle injury. It's not just that Falk didn't give up any touchdowns: In all three of his games, two of which he started, there weren't really any attacking tackles. The Jets scored two defensive touchdowns, kicked an uphill field goal during which Siemian was injured, and scored on an ending on a suppressed opposing punt in the red zone. His sack rate was 18 percent, the highest for any quarterback with 50 or more pass attempts in a season since 2000. After Darnold recovered from mononucleosis, the Jets released Falk, who never returned. sign with an NFL team.

39. Troy Taylor

Total Points: 16
Touchdown Jets: 2 (T-28, 16 points)
Stroke Off: 0
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

Taylor was a fourth-round pick for the Jets in 1990 and played in several games over the course of two years, mostly on cleanup duties. Now, as the head coach of the Stanford team, he has a chance to surpass Kingsbury as a flyer and as a coach.

38. Tim Tebow

Total Points: 16
Jets de touchdowns: 0
AV Race: 12 (T-27, 16 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

No sports team has ever achieved moreFirst attempt-- a dumber decision than replacing the Jets with Tebow in 2012. Any critical thinker will note that the Broncos' 2011 playoffs were a spectacular series of happy and hard-fought victories, not an elite quarterback spectacle. All except the Jets, who traded Tebow with no legitimate plans for a Heisman winner who hit the headlines. They were stuck with a backup quarterback unable to provide a backup starter while creating a massive media frenzy as their short window of the Rex Ryan era closed.

The Jets appear to have signed Tebow when they lost to him in 2011 at the height of #TebowMania. Against the Jets, he showed little efficiency passing, going 9-of-20 for 104 yards, but Denver's defense scored a touchdown on Sanchez's six and Tebow scored the game-winning score in the final minute of the game. Both the Broncos and Jets finished the season 8-8, so this win helped Denver sneak into the playoffs as AFC West champions while the Jets played their home games. Denver renewed its attack the following spring with the addition of a true quarterback, adding Peyton Manning; The Jets went trick-or-treating and it got worse.

The Jets primarily used Tebow on special teams and gimmicks, and when they benched Sanchez late in the season, they turned to third-string forward McElroy in Tebow's place. Special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff, who worked closely with Tebow on the boat team, called the decision to trade him for him a "disaster," admitting the Jets never really practiced the Wildcat-style packages they were supposed to implement. upon arrival on the island. equipment. Tebow only threw eight passes for the Jets and hasn't played in a single NFL game since, but hey, at least Tebow's experience with the Jets was less embarrassing thanTebow Jaguar Experience.

37. Patrick Ramsey

Total Points: 17
Jets de touchdowns: 0
AV Race: 15 (26th, 17 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

Ramsey is the only player on this list whose career with the Jets I've completely forgotten about. The former first-round pick was scheduled to compete with the rehabbing Pennington for the 2006 starting lineup, but he only dropped one pass in New York, which was incomplete.

36. Matt Simms

Total Points: 19
Jets de touchdowns: 1 (T-31., 13 puntos)
AV Race: 1 (T-38., 6 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

Matt, the weaker of the two Simms Sons, had more interceptions than touchdowns in his unforgettable college career at Louisville and Tennessee, but for whatever reason the Jets signed him anyway. Simms backed up Geno Smith and got some burst plays. Somehow he stayed in the NFL until 2019 (frankly, it was new to me), but only the Jets were desperate enough to get pictures of him in regular season games.

35. Greg McElroy

Total Points: 19
Jets de touchdowns: 1 (T-31., 13 puntos)
AV Race: 1 (T-38., 6 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

There's a reason McElroy is now ESPN's college football commentator instead of ESPN's NFL commentator: His college career at Alabama was a little more glamorous than his two-season stint with the Jets. However, he did have a moment of glory starring in a thrilling Jets quarterback triangle with fellow college stars Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. (Tebow is also an ESPN college football commentator for the same reason as McElroy.) Following Sanchez's three interceptions against the Cardinals in December, Rex Ryan moved to the starting bench and moved closer to third forward McElroy, who came off the bench and scored the lone touchdown in a 7-6 win over the Cardinals, the last game won in ten years. then by a team that has scored exactly seven points. Ryan was constantly changing the quarterback roster, returning Sanchez to the starting job and then benching him for McElroy, who missed his only start before suffering a season-ending concussion.

34. Trevor Siemian

Total Points: 20
Jets de touchdowns: 0
AV Race: 18 (23rd, 20 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

remember many memesDarnold's Monograph? That was supposed to explain ESPNmonday night footballviewers why they signed Siemian at quarterback instead of the heralded 2019 matchup between Darnold and Baker Mayfield, two of the top three picks in last year's draft. But they didn't have much to say about Siemian, either: He suffered a season-ending ankle injury after illegally hitting Myles Garrett just three pucks after the game, ending his career with the Jets. (For me, perhaps the only fan of the Northwestern-Jets combo in the world, this is a real flop.)

33. Bryce Petty

Total Points: 30
Jets de touchdowns: 4 (T-22., 21 puntos)
AV Race: 4 (35th place, 8 points)
Jets win: 1 (1 point)
Bonus Points: 0

In the spirit of being Petty, I'm going to turn your note into a discussion of the worst draft in Jets history: Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg was the Jets' second-round pick in 2016, and if you get a second-round pick, you should be able to earn the backup job. However, he couldn't beat Petty, a Game 3 pick, who was forced to play seven dismal games in two seasons. Petty had more than twice as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (four), for a 1-6 scoreline and four 20-point turnovers. Petty is one of the worst quarterbacks the Jets have played in a game, let alone a starter, but he ranks above several better players because Hackenberg couldn't make a single play, so he couldn't qualify for this one. grotesque except bad passes.

32. Josh Johnson

Total Points: 31
Jets de touchdowns: 3 (T-24, 19 puntos)
AV Race: 8 (T-31., 12 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

The Jets have a long tradition of journeyman quarterbacks who have played for various NFL teams, but played better in New York: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown and NFL journeyman King Johnson. Johnson was famous for "playing" on more teams than any other player in the NFL, although most of the time he was simply a member of the practice squad or training camp, with no regular season experience. Johnson arrived in New York in 2021 having already played for 13 NFL teams (including a preseason for the Jets in 2015), as well as teams in the UFL, AAF and XFL. He filled in for the injured Mike White (playing for the injured Zach Wilson) against the Colts in Week 9 and passed for 317 yards and three touchdowns (both career highs) after coming off the bench. Despite Johnson's heroics, the Jets still lost and benched him instead of finally giving Johnson all the early experience we deserve.

31.Brad Smith

Total Points: 34
Touchdown Jets: 1 (T-30, 13 points)
AV Race: 20 (22nd, 21 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

One of my strongest, albeit misconception, is that the Jets should have gone, "YOLO," and given Smith a chance to become QB1. Do we really think he would be worse than Clemens? After the career-high option of him playing with Mizzou, the Jets selected Smith in the 2006 fourth round of the draft, ostensibly to put him at the forward position. They shocked the rookie by letting him play quarterback in the preseason game (he literally didn't expect it) and Smith led the team to a comeback win over the Eagles. This was his last chance to lead the attack. He occasionally played Wildcat-style QB, but the Jets' insistence on turning Smith into an all-round specialist limited his production. In five seasons with the Jets, he passed for just 51 yards and never had more than 400 receiving yards in a season.

30.Jeff Blake

Total Points: 35
Jets de touchdowns: 0
AV Race: 81 (9th place, 34 points)
Gana throws: 0
Extra points: 1 (one Pro Bowl)

There's an alarming amount of crossover between this Jets roster and the Cincinnati Bengals; Much of that credit goes to Bruce Coslet, who was hired as the Jets' head coach in 1990 after a successful career as the Bengals' offensive coordinator, was fired in 1994, then returned to Ohio to become the offensive coordinator again. of the Bengals. For the Jets, Blake sat on the bench behind Nagle and played in just three games. But Coslet liked him, he saw Blake as a project, and in the end he was right: just not in New York. Coslet brought Blake to Cincinnati, where in 1995 he made the Pro Bowl as a starter in his first full season. However, he ultimately lost his job when Boomer Esiason returned to play for the Bengals at the end of the 1997 season.

29. Jack Trudeau

Total Points: 36
Touchdown Jets: 1 (T-30, 13 points)
AV Race: 25 (21, 22 points)
Jets win: 1 (1 point)
Bonus Points: 0

Trudeau is a solid example of why you shouldn't use quarterback wins as a stat here: The longtime backup Colts joined the Jets in 1994 and technically went 1-1 as a starter, but the only win came in reality a game in which Boomer Esiason entered the field in the second quarter and set up the victory.

28. Browning Nagle

Total Points: 37
Jets de touchdowns: 7 (T-18, 25 puntos)
AV Race: 5 (T-34., 9 points)
Jets win: 3 (3 points)
Bonus Points: 0

The Jets almost got Favre early in his career, not late. Then Jets executive Ron Wolf reportedly had Favre as the best player on his draft board, and as the future Hall of Fame quarterback went down and down, it looked like the Jets might catch him with the The 34th pick. Instead, the Falcons selected him with the 33rd pick. The Jets panicked and took Nagle, Wolf took a job with the Packers and traded to Favre the following year, and the rest is history. Back in New York, Nagle sat on the bench as a rookie and Ken O'Brien led the Jets to the playoffs in 1991. The following season, the Jets felt pressure to play a young prospect and inexplicably traded O'Brien. Brien to Nagle's place, later named by head coach Bruce Coslet."Biggest mistake of my coaching career."The Jets led 3-10 with Nagle starting for seven touchdowns and 17 interceptions. At one point, Coslet decided he couldn't trust Nagle with a two-minute attack and came up with a strategy where Nagle started but O'Brien played late in the half and the pack was doomed, which shook the Nagle's confidence. Suddenly, after the 1992 season, he never got any significant playing time again; Favre won three MVP awards and one Super Bowl.

27. Brooksa Bollingera

Total Points: 37
Jets de touchdowns: 7 (T-18, 25 puntos)
AV Race: 6 (33rd place, 10 points)
Jets win: 2 (2 points)
Bonus Points: 0

Bollinger was the third forward to be ejected following injuries suffered by Pennington and Jay Fiedler in 2004 and 2005. The Jets briefly signed retired Vinny Testaverde, 41, but quickly realized Bollinger was the best option. . even if he did sometimesmake four interceptions in a game.

26. Mike Blanco

Total Points: 37
Touchdown Jets: 8 (17th, 26 points)
AV Race: 5 (T-34., 9 points)
Jets win: 2 (2 points)
Bonus Points: 0

Mike White's magic lasted one beautiful afternoon in 2021. Wilson suffered an injury midway through his difficult rookie season, giving White a chance to start against the eventual champions AFC Bengals. It should have been a disaster: White was selected in the fifth round and hasn't played a game for the Jets in two years. He doesn't even appear in the first two Google search results for "Mike White." (Personally, I would leave it behindwhite lotusboy and in front of a Georgia basketball coach.) Yet White somehow got past Joe Burrow, going 37-of-45 for 405 yards and three touchdowns (and two interceptions, but quietly), and passing back-to-back touchdown passes. lift the Jets from an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter and win. Out of nowhere, the third most famous Mike White shot for the 10th longest distance in Jets history. This game built enough confidence that the Jets turned to White while Wilson hit the ball throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons, but as a starter he only won one more game, scored four more touchdowns and had eight interceptions.

25. Glenna Foleya

Total Points: 40
Touchdown Jets: 10 (16th, 27 points)
AV Race: 8 (T-31., 12 points)
Jets win: 1 (1 point)
Bonus Points: 0

Foley had a great run for a seventh-round pick. He stunned the Patriots in a game in 1996 when he came off the bench and made 14 straight passes, securing a comeback (after the game, the Pats' defense claimed they didn't even realize Foley had replaced Neil O'Donnell ) and was in In 1998 he became the Jets' first-week starter. However, he quickly lost his job to Testaverde. His career with the Jets ended 1-7 as a starter and he had more interceptions than touchdowns.

24. Quincy Carter

Total Points: 40
Jets de touchdowns: 3 (T-24, 19 puntos)
AV Race: 17 (T-24, 19 points)
Jets win: 2 (2 points)
Bonus Points: 0

Carter was another player in a long line of quarterbacks who started while Pennington was sidelined with various injuries, helping the Jets win two games in a tight AFC postseason race in 2004. However, Carter, whose career was interrupted by arrests and suspensions due to alcohol and drug problems, he abruptly left the team after a playoff win over the Chargers to enter rehab. The Jets did not renew his contract in 2005 and he never played in an NFL game again. He even had a hard time catching up in the CFL due to"serious problem with marijuana"(In Canada! I thought you guys were great!) and ended up playing in several indoor leagues.

23. Kellen Clemens

Total Points: 41
Touchdown Jets: 5 (T-20, 23 points)
AV Race: 10 (29th, 14 points)
Jets win: 4 (4 points)
Bonus Points: 0

The Jets' trajectory would be completely different if Clemens was any good. After being drafted in the second round of the 2006 draft, the Jets hoped Clemens would be a long-term successor to Pennington, whom they finally drafted for good after starting the 2007 season with a 7-1 record. However, Clemens quickly learned that he wasn't the answer, throwing for five touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight starts. This meant that the Jets continued to search for a competent quarterback and traded the team to Favre in 2008, and signed Sánchez in 2009 with Clemens as a backup for both players. The Jets' trajectory would also have been different if Clemens had been worse: If they had won one fewer game in 2007, they could have gone with Matt Ryan over Vernon Gholston.

22. Tony Eson

Total Points: 41
Touchdown Jets: 1 (T-30, 13 points)
AV Race: 39 (15th, 28 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

Eason barely qualified for that ranking as a backup to the 1990 Jets. Had he posted his Patriots stats (28-21 record, 60 touchdowns and a trip to the Super Bowl) with the Jets, he would have been one of the best players ever. our franchise and yet most Patriots fans have probably long since forgotten about it. his

21.Jay Fiedler

Total Points: 43
Touchdown Jets: 1 (T-30, 13 points)
AV Race: 43 (13th, 30 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 0

The Jets should have an all-time lead in terms of injured backup point guards immediately. (The 49ers are fighting for the title.) Fiedler was a substitute for Pennington in 2005, but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during the same game in which Pennington suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. He swore that shoulder injuries are not contagious to the other 31 teams in the league.

20. Ricka Mirera

Total Points: 51
Touchdown Jets: 5 (T-20, 23 points)
AV Race: 36 (17th, 26 points)
Jets win: 2 (2 points)
Bonus Points: 0

Mirer is one of the few players bad enough to be classified as a mid-tier or lower point guard in this entry's versions of the Jets and Bears, and it's hard to say which team regretted using the no option. 2 erasers, choose more. His performance with the Bears was exceptionally poor: Chicago gave up a first-round pick to Mirer, who never gave the team a single touchdown and quickly became a third-round pick. The Jets only gave up the pick in the sixth round, trading Mirer, but they almost certainly would have made it to the 1999 season if they had gone to third-string forward Ray Lucas in Mirer's place from the start. In fact, they would have made the playoffs if they had allowed player Tom Tupa to keep playing.attack playerfor the season opener, instead of letting Mirer play, who made two interceptions in the fourth quarter. (More on that later. Much more on that later.) Instead, the Jets missed the postseason by one game, Bill Parcells retired, and Bill Belichick left the Jets for the Patriots, and yes, I'd say the Patriot dynasty is Mirer's fault.

19. Frank Reich

Total Points: 51
Jets de touchdowns: 15 (T-12, 31 puntos)
AV Race: 17 (T-24, 19 points)
Jets win: 1 (1 point)
Bonus Points: 0

The current Panthers head coach spent most of his 13-year career as a backup, mostly in Buffalo, where he played just eight regular-season games in nine seasons. A rare exception was his only year with the Jets in 1996, when he started seven. Unfortunately, it was the worst year in Jets history as the team went down 1-15. In defense of the Reich, he was responsible for the only victory. This entire loss pretty much solved the Jets' quarterback problems, as they had a no. First pick in the 1997 draft, but a month before the draft, Peyton Manning decided to return to Tennessee for the senior season. (The Jets lost No. 1 and the Rams faced future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace at this venue.)

18. Bubby steals them

Total Points: 51
Jets de touchdowns: 4 (T-22., 21 puntos)
AV Race: 42 (14th, 29 points)
Jets win: 1 (1 point)
Bonus Points: 0

In 1995, the Jets formed the Boomer-Bubby tandem, and it is perhaps the only quarterback duo in NFL history to consist entirely of players who use nicknames instead of first names. (Maybe true, maybe not, but there's no way to know.) Whether the Jets were led by someone with a nickname more akin to a 1950s-born or a Jewish grandmother, they were terrible, going 3-13.

17. Ray Lucas

Total Points: 51
Jets de touchdowns: 14 (T-14, 29 puntos)
AV Race: 12 (T-27, 16 points)
Jets win: 6 (6 points)
Bonus Points: 0

There are 40 quarterbacks on this list, and 35 to 39 of them make me sad, frustrated or angry on the inside. Then there's Lucas, who arguably has the highest approval rating among Jets fans of any quarterback listed here. (He was a Jets analyst on SNY for a reason, whereas virtually every other quarterback on this list would have fans turning off their TVs in a rage.) Lucas grew up in Harrison, NJ, and set the all-time Rutgers-level record for touchdown passes (since the crash), making him a rare local Jet. When given a chance to start in 1999, he won six of his nine starts, collecting 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, bringing the Jets' initial 1-6 lead to the brink of the playoffs. (I especially like the night Lucas quittwo touchdowns for 50 yards in the fourth quartermonday night footballbeat the Dolphins.) Lucas didn't repeat that feat for the rest of his career, but he literally has the highest winning percentage of any Jets quarterback with more than three starts. Put him in the Ring of Honor.

16. Zach Wilson

Total Points: 52
TD Jets: 15 (T-12, 31 points) Pro AV: 9 (30, 13 points)
Jets win: 8 (8 points)
Bonus Points: 0

Of all the Jets' quarterback losses, and there are plenty, Wilson has to be the biggest. With the second pick in the future legendary generation of the 2021 draft, the Jets went with Wilson, who was considered a fringe contender until he shredded BYU's Covid-19 pandemic-altered schedule for 2020. Sure, Justin Fields has been An elite prospect to be sure since he was still in high school, but he was passed over by the Jets because Wilson made such a great shot on his pro day. (They also passed Ja'Marr Chase and Micah Parsons, etc., etc.).

Jets players like Sanchez and Darnold didn't measure up to their high draft picks, but Wilson was one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL in each of his two seasons. There weren't even high-level gameplay moments we could keep; It's hard to point to a single good game he played at quarterback for the Jets. In addition to his bad game, Wilson mistreated his teammates. He was widely criticized for responding to a news conference in which he failed to take responsibility for a 77-yard pass in a 10-3 loss to the Patriots last season, and his teammates celebrated.I like thiswhen Mike White led them to victory after Wilson was benched. The good news is that Wilson did so badly that the Jets were able to part with him in less than two years.

15. Tom Tupa

Total Points: 53
Touchdown Jets: 2 (T-27, 16 points)
AV Race: 38 (67th place, 27 points)
Gana throws: 0
Bonus Points: 10 (First Team All-Pro, one Pro Bowl as Jet)

Is Tupa really the 16th best quarterback on this list? I don't mind. I would put it at no. 1 if I thought I could get away with it. I'd rather talk about a Tupa quarterback game for the Jets than anything else in the world. Gather around and let me tell you the story of Tupa, as I plan to do with my children every night before bed.

Tupa was the type of player for the Jets from 1999 to 2001. At Ohio State, Tupa was one of the last legal players to play a two-way game: the starting quarterback.Iall american player NFL evaluators, however, felt he would be more valuable at quarterback, and that's where the Cardinals made him play after he was drafted. However, he didn't do very well as a passer and in 1994 he started playing boats full time. When he came to New York in 1999, he went sailing. After all, the Jets had Testaverde and a veteran backup in Mirera. The days when Tupa was launched are long gone.

OR THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE THINKS.

For whatever reason, Bill Parcells decided to try to save his spot in the lineup by putting Tupa as backup quarterback on game days and replacing Mirer as third-string emergency quarterback, that is, per NFL rules. at that time, if Mirer entered the lineup, lineup before the fourth quarter, the starter and substitute will not be able to re-enter the field. This unusual choice immediately became relevant. Earlier in the season, Testaverde tore his Achilles tendon after restarting in the second quarter. The two-stage Tuna Tupa failed. The Jets would have to play quarterbacks for two quarters or forego special teams for the rest of the game.

It should have been a disaster: Tupa hadn't made a pass in years other than the occasional trick, hadn't practiced his attack, and wasn't wearing shower shoes. However, Tupa's first pass was a 25-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson. He later connected for passes of 50 and 65 yards to Johnson, who had a career-high 194 yards that day. The Jets responded with a roar and took a 28-27 lead into the fourth quarter.

But then the Jets brought in Mirer ... who went 4-of-11 and had two steals. Tupa was named to the All-Pro First Team as a player that season, but never played quarterback again. The Jets missed the postseason by one game; they should have stayed with Tupa and never looked back.

14. Marek Brunell

Total Points: 60
Touchdown Jets: 2 (T-27, 16 points)
AV Race: 120 (5th place, 38 points)
Gana throws: 0
Extra Points: 6 (three Pro Bowls; leads the league in distance, yards per attempt and steal rate)

Brunell joined the Jets late in his career to support Sánchez and serve as a mentor. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old Sanchez was closer in age (and apparently mature) to Brunell's school-age children than the 41-year-old ex-Jaguar. ESPN reported that Sanchezoften visited Brunell's housewhile spending hours playing video games, dodgeball, and soccer in the backyard with his teammates' kids.

13. Michael Vic

Total Points: 62
Jets de touchdowns: 3 (T-24, 19 puntos)
AV Race: 112 (6th place, 37 points)
Jets win: 1 (1 point)
Bonus Points: 5 (four Pro Bowls, one Comeback Player of the Year award)

The Jets' quarterback dysfunction peaked when they headed to San Diego for a game against the Chargers in 2014. Quarterback Geno Smith missed the team meeting because he went to the movies, blaming his inability to understand time zones under pressure from the media. (It's not clear if he gave the correct airtime for the video.) Smith played poorly and was on Vick's bench at halftime, but Vick was 34 years old and had been a full-time substitute for the second time in his career (the second time coming shortly after being released from the team). prison and joined the Eagles). Vick admitted that he was not fully prepared for the game and said that "took the exploration team for grantedleaving the team without a competent starter and substitute after losing 31-0. After starting the season with a 1-7 record, the Jets benched Smith and replaced Vick, who still had a few ounces left in the tank, and if you don't believe me,watch his performance against the Steelers, his only win as a Jet. He still made the boys miss him. But it was notMadden NFL 2004Vic. Being a substitute didn't suit him and when he played his last game in 2015, he had the worst record of his career in most passing categories.

12. Josh McCown

Total Points: 69
Touchdown Jets: 19 (11th, 32 points)
AV Race: 47 (12th, 31 points)
Jets win: 5 (5 points)
Bonus Points: 1 (league leader in sack rate)

In 2015 and 2016, the Jets' quarterback was thirty-something Ryan Fitzpatrick, who spent most of his career as a backup official who rarely got his first caps and whose teams never qualified for the playoffs. . After Fitzpatrick's terrible 2016 season, the Jets turned to McCown, who was similar to Fitzpatrick but demoted in every possible way: older, less starting lineup experience, less charisma, beardless, Ivy League pedigree and the same gaming experience... outside. McCown, 38, had the best season of his career, setting records in virtually every category, but the Jets still went 5-11 in 2017 and were able to draft Darnold the following year.

11.Joe Flacco

Total Points: 70
Jets de touchdowns: 14 (T-14, 29 puntos)
AV Race: 122 (4th place, 39 points)
Jets win: 1 (1 point)
Extra points: 1 (won Super Bowl)

Flacco's Super Bowl win with the Ravens isn't his crowning achievement. No, his pièce de résistance was his only win in three seasons with the Jets: an improbable accidental victory over the Browns in Week Two that will shine long after the diamonds on any championship ring have faded. To be clear, Flacco has been "cooked" with a capital C throughout his career with the Jets. Not half well, not well done, just a piece of charcoal. Flacco joined the Jets after missing a tryout from the Broncos due to a neck injury, and though the Jets tried to get rid of him in 2021, they ultimately had to buy him back from the Eagles following Wilson's injury. By the time he turned thirty, he no longer had the strength in his arms that made irresponsible behavior in his youth worthwhile, and he carried an unknown number of "no's." 19: Great with Keyshawn, disgusting for any post-1950 quarterback. Flacco lost his first six starts as a Jet, but leading 30-17 with two minutes remaining against the Browns, Flacco dug deep and mustered the last bit of magic in his shoulder, throwing two desperate touchdowns, which ensured his recovery from an offside kick. and steal 31 -30 wins from the jaws with a 99.9% chance of losing. Even after four touchdowns and a 307-yard run against Cleveland, Flacco was one of the worst quarterbacks of 2022, just 5.5 yards per attempt, and is now a free agent. He makes that wonderful moment even more unlikely.

10. Darnold herself

Total Points: 73
Touchdown Jets: 45 (6th, 37 points)
AV Race: 27 (20th, 23 points)
Jets win: 13 (13 points)
Bonus Points: 0

Like Haley Joel Osment inSixth Sense, Darnold on the Jets will be best remembered for the quote about seeing the dead. There was no shortage of problems during Darnold's tenure in New York, such as getting an A on the first pass of his career and the way hemonday night footballThe artwork turned her fight against mononucleosis into a meme. Worst of all, though, was his four-interception performance in a 33-0 loss to the Patriots, during which he yelled, "I see ghosts!" when the microphone is on. The Jets began to wonder why NFL Films allowed such an embarrassing sound to be filmed.monday night footballbroadcast instead of wondering why his young viewer was playing such an embarrassing quarterback role.

But the most embarrassing thing to me is the way the Jets wasted Darnold's talent. His arm was absolutely worth the no. Third pick, but the Jets gave him two clumsy coaches. As a rookie, his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach was Jeremy Bates, who hadn't worked in the NFL since he took over the Jets in 2012, was openly criticized by Jets players during his tenure, and has found no I've been in the NFL ever since. The Jets then traded Darnold to the unwitting Adam Gase, causing a massive setback. Darnold seemed to change his mind last year against the Panthers, and I'm pretty sure he'll win the Super Bowl with the 49ers this year.

9. Geno Smith

Total Points: 74
Touchdown Jets: 28 (8th, 35 points)
AV Race: 33 (19th place, 24 points)
Gana Jets: 12
Bonus Points: 3 (one Pro Bowl, one comeback player of the year, league leader in completion percentage)

Many of the hypothetical Jets quarterbacks are laments of the team's playersalmostdraft, I spend a lot of time thinking about the (literally) self-inflicted damage they caused when the Jets lost the future Pro Bowl quarterback because they blamed him as the victim for being hit in the face by Rando from the depth chart, which was can shorten.

In 2013, Smith looked poor as a rookie, but showed improvement in the second season and was the expected starter for the 2015 season. Then came the hit: IK backup linebacker Enemkpali hit Smith shortly after training camp began. , breaking his jaw. . It's true that Smith owed Enemkpali $600, and it's true that Smith probably should have paid, given that he was a quarterback with a multimillion-dollar contract dealing with a guy who was fighting for a roster spot. But Punch quickly turned into a referendum on Smith's leadership: how can you trust a point guard who's been pummeled by a teammate? The Jets never gave Smith a fresh start, nor did anyone else until last year, when he was named Player of the Year in his return after scoring 30 touchdowns for the Seahawks.

8. Neil O'Donnell

Total Points: 75
Touchdown Jets: 21 (10th, 33 points)
AV Race: 73 (10th, 33 points)
Jets win: 8 (8 points)
Extra points: 1 (one Pro Bowl)

The Jets seemed to have landed a big free agency coup in 1996 when they signed O'Donnell, who led the Steelers to four playoff appearances in five years, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 1995. The Jets outbid from the Steelers with a $25 million contract. — or $25 million over five years (the NFL was a whole different world back then) — and seemed intent on picking the quarterback. Unfortunately, O'Donnell's success was tied heavily to "being on the Steelers" and not "being on the Jets." Before a season-ending injury in 1996, his record is 0-6, and though his condition improved significantly in 1997, Bill Parcells briefly replaced him on the bench with Glenn Foley. The Jets fired him after they avoided paying his $6 million salary and moved to Testaverde.

7. Ryan Fitzpatrick

Total Points: 91
Touchdown Jets: 43 (7th, 36 points)
AV Race: 101 (7th, 36 points)
Gana Jets: 13
Bonus points: 6 (led Jets in single-season touchdown passes, led league in touchdown yards)

Fitzpatrick played for nine teams in his career, and most of his seasons were memorable: He was a backup for the Rams and Bengals, he was a poor starter for the Bills, he got into ugly quarterback battles with the Titans and Texas, and so on. unceasingly. And then he joined the Jets and set a decade-long franchise record for touchdowns in a single season, almost leading the team to a staggering late-season rise to the postseason. (Almost.)

Fitzpatrick was cast in the starting role for the Jets after Punch broke Geno Smith's jaw, but even when Smith was cleared to play, the Jets stuck with Fitzpatrick, who by then had already formed a dynamic bond with Brandon Marshall. . (No forward should play for the Jets and Bears. It's cruel.) Marshall had the statistically best receiving season in franchise history in 2015, setting franchise records for receiving and yardage and tying the team record for touchdowns. Fitz really did it in December: The Jets were on a five-game winning streak, with Fitzpatrick scoring 13 touchdowns and one interception during that stretch. And then Fitzpatrick lost three picks after a blowout late-season loss to the Rex Ryan-coached Bills, just a year after the Jets dumped Ryan to the curb. Fitzpatrick left the team en masse in 2016, making the bizarre 2015 season the closest Fitzpatrick had come to a playoff run in history, and the legendary journeyman in history to come closest to owning a home.

6.Mark Sanchez

Total Points: 97
Jets touchdowns: 68 (4to, 39 points)
AV Race: 35 (18th, 25 points)
Jets win: 33 (33 points)
Bonus Points: 0

Sanchez isn't the worst quarterback the Jets have ever had, but he seems to have become the face of decades of quarterback ineptitude for the Jets. Specifically, the face that hit a teammate's butt so hard that Sanchez tripped over the ball, and the Patriots rebounded it and scored a Thanksgiving 2012 touchdown. Sanchez peaked with three touchdowns in a playoff win over Brady and the Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, after the 2010 season. (You probably remember Bart Scott's "WE CAN'T WAIT" interview from that day.) It will all be downhill. The following week, Sanchez played the Jets 24-0 in the AFC Championship game against the Steelers, and soon it was time for the Butt Fumble.

I sometimes fondly look back on Sánchez's career as a Jets quarterback, considering his back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in his first two seasons represent the most successful Jets era of my life. But when you reflect on Sanchez's role on those teams, it becomes clear why he's so easily disillusioned: What if the Jets had, you know,GOODA quarterback who will work a god-tier defense instead of a struggling youngster? What if the Jets had invested in a solid veteran instead of wasting a rare championship window on a high draft pick who never caught on? Other quarterback disappointments The Jets allowed themselves the luxury of sucking up bad teams; Even if Sanchez was better, we remember him because his struggles occurred on teams that had higher hopes.

5. Esiason Boomera

Total Points: 107
Touchdown Jets: 49 (5th, 38 points)
AV Race: 137 (3rd place, 40 points)
Jets win: 15 (15 points)
Bonus Points: 14 (First Team All-Pro; four Pro Bowls, including one as a Jet; MVP; league leader in passing and touchdown rate; two-time league leader in yards per attempt)

I decided to become a Jets fan when I was 4 years old and my dad took me to a game at the Meadowlands. We weren't really a football family (my dad isn't even a Jets fan, so I'm guessing he got tickets as a present), but the Jets won after a guy named Boomer came off the bench and led the team to the victory. a 16-6 win over the Colts, which was the coolest thing I've ever seen. (I mean, come on. A guy named BOOMER!) I didn't understand the context of the Jets' brief decision to put Esiason on Jack Trudeau's bench, which is why Esiason had to come off the bench in the first place, just Remember everyone was excited about Boomer. I didn't know that Esiason was a former league MVP, or that his glory days were long behind him when he spent three years with the Jets, or that the Jets were a pretty average team that had a 6-year campaign. 10 in 1994. . To be honest, he didn't even know the rules of soccer. He just knew that Boomer had everyone screaming and cheering and he winced. So I guess Boomer Esiason is the reason I'm a Jets fan.

I will never forgive him.

4. Bretta Favre'a

Total Points: 115
Touchdown Jets: 22 (nine, 34 points)
AV Race: 259 (1st place, 42 points)
Jets win: 9 (9 points)
Bonus Points: 30 (Three-time All-Pro; 11 Pro Bowls; three-time MVP; won one Super Bowl; led league in touchdowns [four times], distance [two], completion percentage [one], rate of touchdown [four] and sack [one] - none for Jets)

before favremisled the people of mississippi, he was nothing more than a good gunslinger sending unwanted pictures of his penis to a team member. In hindsight, the Jets' decision to bring in the former Packers legend was both a public relations nightmare and aIfootball disappointment, but for a time in 2008 it really seemed like betting on the Jets on Brett might pay off.

The Jets signed Favre cheaply after his first 38 retirement threats, giving up only a conditional fourth-round pick to sign a future Hall of Famer. For three months it was like a robbery. In Week 4, Favre scored six touchdowns in a 56-35 win over the Cardinals, making it the most passes in a Jets quarterback game since Namath in 1972. In November, the Jets finished 4- 1, including wins over the Patriots and the undefeated Titans. This gave them a top spot in the AFC East table, and with Tom Brady absent for the entire season, it looked like the Jets were about to strike a big deal.

And then Favre fell apart. The former quarterback tore his biceps during a win over the Titans, but the Jets kept the information about the injury under wraps, leading to an NFL fine in the postseason. Favre's game fell immediately. In the Jets' last five games, Favre had two touchdowns and nine interceptions. They still had a chance to win the AFC East before Week 17, but Favre made three interceptions (including a sixth pick) in a 24-17 loss to the relegation-clinching Dolphins. To make matters worse, the Dolphins' quarterback was Chad Pennington that day, who the Jets unceremoniously fired when it became clear they could sign Favre. (Between this and Fitzpatrick in Buffalo in 2015, the Jets missed a chance to winof thepossible playoff appearances in Week 17 games due to making three appearances against disgruntled and recently dumped former Jets players). After the 2008 season, Favre "retired" again, but signed with the Vikings in the offseason.

So yeah, all in all, one of the Jets QB's best seasons.

3. Chad Pennington

Total points: 127
Touchdown Jets: 82 (2nd, 41 points)
AV Race: 62 (11th, 32 points)
Jets win: 32 (32 points)
Bonus points: 22 (two Comeback Player of the Year awards, one for the Jets; league-leading passing percentage, completion percentage and touchdown percentage for the Jets; league-leading completion percentage for the Dolphins )

Pennington shouldn't be. 1 on this list, but his body wouldn't cooperate. His near-constant injury woes not only ruined the Jets' hopes year after year, but also kept him from reaching his full potential, as he came back slightly worse after each surgery and never again reached the heights of his first season as a starter. of the Jets. .

After serving as a supporting cast member in Randy Moss's Highlights, directed by Marshall, Pennington was selected in the first round in 2000, but the Jets played Testaverde for the entire 2002 season. When Pennington finally played, it was a revelation: He led the NFL in passing, touchdowns, and yards per attempt, then had three touchdowns to beat the Colts 41-0 in the first round of the playoffs. The Jets seemed to have their man.

Then Pennington broke his arm before the 2003 season... and tore his rotator cuff in 2004... and the rotator cuff didn't fully heal when Pennington returned, leading to another surgery in 2005. Pennington was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2006, his only season, in which he played 16 games in his eight years with the Jets, but fell quickly in 2007. By the end of his Jets career, the extraordinary strength in his shoulder had all but disappeared. , possibly because of everything. shoulder injuries and surgeries. In 2008, Pennington went to the Dolphins where he was again named Player of the Year as part of his comeback (only Pennington had enough injuries to win the award twice) and saved the Jets from the playoffs by defeating his former team in Week 17 and winning the AFC East title for Miami.

2 Vinny'ego Testaverde

Total Points: 128
Touchdown Jets: 77 (3rd, 40 points)
AV Race: 141 (2nd, 41 points)
Jets win: 35
Bonus points: 12 (two Pro Bowl games, one as Jet; league leader in completion yards; league leader in pass attempts with Jets)

I wasn't sure Testaverde was the best point guard on the Jets, but deep down I know he is.VeryJets QB. He is an Italian from Long Island whose name means "Green Head" in Italian. He was born to be the QB of the Jets and the truth is that he prefers not to admit that he played in other teams.

This list is full of quarterbacks who played in the Pro Bowl with other teams but went 7-9 with the Jets. Testaverde is the opposite: an unusual quarterback whose time with the Jets was the pinnacle of his career. Testaverde holds the losing record for an NFL quarterback, and when A Tribe Called Quest rapped in 1993, "Your style is sketchy like Vinny Testaverde," they were just being honest: Before coming to the Jets, Vinny had more seasons on the team. team he led the league in steals (two) than winning seasons (one). But his countryman powers kicked in immediately upon arrival in New Jersey. He joined the Jets in 1998 and began the season as Glenn Foley's backup. Testaverde earned the QB1 job in Week 3, went 12-1 as a starter, and clinched the Jets a berth in the AFC Championship game.

Unfortunately, Testaverde was already 34 years old when he joined the Jets. They were part of the talk of the 1999 Super Bowl, but hope was dashed when he tore his Achilles tendon in the first week. The Jets married Pennington in 2000 and secured the job for him in 2002 when Testaverde began to decline rapidly. If only most of the Jets' QBs had come to New York sooner.

1. Ken O'Brien

Total Points: 147
Touchdown Jets: 124 (1st, 42 points)
AV Race: 87 (8th place, 35 points)
Jets win: 50 (50 points)
Extra Points: 20 (two Pro Bowl games, led the league twice, both with the Jets)

O'Brien totally deserves the number one spot on this list. In nine mostly injury-free seasons as the Jets' starting quarterback, O'Brien ranked second in all-time passing for the Jets behind Namat. He has 42 more Jets touchdowns and 17 more Jets wins than anyone on this list, which means the difference between first and second place is just as big as the difference between last place and the top ten. (This article features every Jets QB player who has played for the league team since 1990, but we've used O'Brien's full career statistics, even though he played most of his games in the 1980s). He has nearly twice as many passes for the Jets as Pennington.

But even a great Jet can be disappointing, because O'Brien is one of the most perplexing candidates in the draft. In 1983, each team in the AFC East selected a quarterback in the first round. The Bills and Dolphins picked future Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Dan Marino, respectively, while the Patriots' QB drafted that year, Tony Eason, clinched a Super Bowl berth for them. The Jets selected O'Brien, who was solid but never won a playoff game, and didn't take him. 24 and Marino is still on board. Most everyone expected the Jets to take Marino, an All-American from Pitt. Instead, they chose O'Brien, a little-known Division II candidate at UC-Davis. Marino reportedly "clearly got sick" when the Jets seized him with an unknown player. Meanwhile, O'Brien slept out on the West Coast, not expecting to be drafted first, and to this day he laughs at the video of confused Jets fans furious that the team picked a guy from a D-II school. random. “The camera turned to the people in the audience and they said, 'Where? Lime what?recently told ESPN. O'Brien then defeated Marino in the 11th highest scoring game in NFL history in a 51-45 Jets victory in which the quarterbacks combined for 927 touchdown passes and 10 touchdowns. However, the professional rivalry between the guy the Jets drafted and the guy they dumped wasn't particularly close.

But that's the way it is with the Jets. O'Brien is objectively the No. 1 Jets QB of my life, and he remains a source of derision from outsiders and angst to Jets fans wondering what could have happened.