Jets' $280,000,000 splash-the-cash mission hamstringing QB pursuit after Aaron Rodgers' injury: Report
The New York Jets went all-in to trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The team's hopes and dreams of winning it all were quickly dashed. Just minutes into his Jets debut, the quarterback suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, which left the Jets to turn to former start Zach Wilson.
NFL fans and analysts have all questioned the team's lack of interest in acquiring a veteran quarterback. With the additions of many offensive assets, some feel that the team could succeed with a different quarterback. On "Undisputed", Josina Anderson and Skip Bayless discussed the issues surrounding the Jets' payroll.
"Why are the #Jets not signing a more highly-regarded free agent QB or trading for one? I'm told there are budget concerns (2nd-most spending in cash [$280M] behind CLE), they feel teams don't usually trade quality back-ups & acclimation is harder than people think."
The New York Jets spent $280 million to assemble the current roster. That is the second-most amount spent in the NFL. There simply isn't enough room to add a high-caliber quarterback. The Jets also appear to believe other backup quarterbacks in the league, wouldn't be worth trading for.
This predicament has the Jets sticking with backup quarterback Zach Wilson. His salary is already on the payroll and he knows the offense. New York is now just hopeful they can see improvement from Wilson soon.
How much are the New York Jets paying QB Aaron Rodgers?
Once Aaron Rodgers announced his intentions to play for the New York Jets, the team began negotiations with Green Bay. In April, the Packers traded the quarterback to the Jets in exchange for a first-round, fifth-round, sixth-round and a conditional pick. Since Rodgers won't play a majority of the snaps this season, the first-round pick drops to a second-round selection.
In July, the New York Jets were able to renegotiate Aaron Rodgers contract. His previous contract still had $110 million remaining. However, his new contract was a pay cut of about $35 million and is now a two-year deal worth $75 million.
The New York Jets are now on the hook for about $37 million a season. A huge sum of money to pay a player even though he didn't make it through the first quarter of the Week 1 game.