The Jets had their sights set on new quarterback Aaron Rodgers early in the 2023 NFL offseason. But the former Packers great wasn't the only notable name to garner consideration from the team. Before free agency, Jets brass evaluated 19 different veteran options to replace Zach Wilson, according to SNY, and briefly narrowed a list of trade targets to include the Rams' Matthew Stafford.
General manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and director of player personnel Chad Alexander were part of a decision-making group that separated the potential acquisitions into three different tiers, per Connor Hughes. The top tier apparently included QBs with perceived Super Bowl ability, and featured both Rodgers and Stafford.
The Ravens' Lamar Jackson was also in that tier, per SNY, but once "it became clear Jackson wasn't leaving" Baltimore, the Jets' focus tightened. The Rams had reportedly been trying to shop Stafford early this offseason as they prepared to shed lofty salaries and restore their draft capital, but general manager Les Snead committed to the veteran soon afterward, calling the longtime Lions starter a "pillar" of their rebuild.
Once this happened, the Jets pivoted to Derek Carr, then a free agent, and current Titans QB Ryan Tannehill as fallback options, SNY reported. They were genuinely interested in Carr coming off his nearly decade-long run with the Raiders, but he "wanted a deal before free agency began," and New York didn't yet know of Rodgers' plans. So they passed, and in the end, "Rodgers wanted the Jets, and only the Jets" after it became clear he and Green Bay were set to part ways.
