Jets willing to ‘pay’ for ‘missing’ quarterback

The Jets tried up to three quarterbacks in 2023; have not scored touchdowns in the last three games

FLORHAM PARK, NJ — The Owner woody johnson believes that the new york jets they’re one quarterback away from ending their 12-year playoff drought, and he’s willing to spend a lot of money.

“Absolutely,” he replied to a small group of reporters Thursday at his office at the Los Angeles Lakers facility. jets. “We have a cap, so there’s an amount you can spend. But, yeah, yeah. That’s the missing piece.”

It was assumed that zach wilson he would be a linchpin when he was drafted with the second overall pick in 2021, but he was benched twice in 2022 and appears headed for a backup role in 2023. Despite his struggles and those of the offense, “this team it’s packed and ready to go,” Johnson said.

“Our defense is an incredible story that you saw this year, from last place to near the top in defense in terms of every measure,” he stressed. “If you can do the same on offense, that would look pretty good, right?”

Several intriguing names will be available in the offseason, ranging from free agents (Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo Y lamar jackson) to possible tradeable objectives (especially, Derek Carr).

The jets they have already invested a guaranteed $35 million in Wilson. The plan is to keep it, according to Johnson, but he acknowledged: “Zach had a tough year, there’s no denying that. I’m still confident I’ve seen real talent there… [Su] confidence level, whatever it was, went down, so it was certainly frustrating for him. And then we had that rotation, which is very difficult to do in the nfl: change quarterbacks”.

Quarterback instability (three different starters) contributed to the late-season collapse: a six-game losing streak that cost the jets (7-10) a playoff berth and left Johnson fuming after each loss, sources said.

The consequences have begun. The jets confirmed the departure of the offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and they described it as a mutual farewell. Also, the offensive line coach John Benton it’s out. They’re also in the market for a wide receivers coach because Miles Austin is suspended for a year for gambling on professional sports.

Johnson stated that he did not force the coach Robert Saleh to make personnel changes, saying it wasn’t part of the “decision-making tree,” but the owner admitted it was “very frustrating” to witness the offensive collapse — no touchdowns in the last three games.

After two years out of the playoffs, Saleh and general manager joe douglas they will be under pressure in 2023. Johnson does not force them to be in the playoffs.

“No, I don’t do mandates,” said Johnson, who has made the postseason six times in 23 years as an owner. “We had a long wait. Fifty-four years since the last Super Bowl is too, too long. I’d like to change that fast, but mandates don’t work.”

There was no ultimatum per se, but Johnson made it clear that he believes the roster is ready for the postseason, mentioning that it includes “all these incredible young stars.” Johnson said he’s optimistic about a change in 2023, noting how the defense changed in a year. He went from 32nd to fourth in yards allowed.

The offense finished in 25th place, one of the reasons why the vavavathey dropped LaFleur after two years. Publicly, Saleh advocated keeping LaFleur, fueling speculation that Johnson forced him.

“There are 32 owners in this league, and they have every right to ask questions and challenge thinking and have all the discussions they want,” Saleh conceded. “That happens in all camps. But at the end of the day, Woody gives us full autonomy with regard to decision-making. And he fully supports whatever decision we make.”

With the quarterback’s shaky situation, and with 2023 being a potential make-or-bust year for Saleh, it could be difficult to attract top coordinator candidates. Saleh disagreed, saying they have young talent and strong defense. He anticipated that the new coordinator will participate in the quarterback’s decision.

“We’re going to be very aggressive when it comes to the quarterback game, and we’re going to make sure we do everything we can to satisfy the position.”