Zach Wilson will handle the starting quarterback duties for the New York Jets — at least for the time being. The team is evaluating its options at the quarterback position after star signal-caller Aaron Rodgers’ season ended after only four plays in a Jets uniform.
Rodgers exited Monday’s game after he was sacked in the first quarter.
On Tuesday, multiple reports confirmed an MRI showed that the four-time NFL MVP tore an Achilles. The Jets did manage to beat the Bills in overtime with Wilson under center. But it remains unclear if the Jets will stick with Wilson the rest of the season.
The team could decide to sign a veteran free agent or trade for a quarterback. If the Jets take the veteran quarterback route, one free agent — Colin Kaepernick — appears to be making himself available.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., Nov. 13, 2016. (Matt Kartozian/USA Today Sports)
Following Rodgers’ injury, Kaepernick’s agent reached out to the Jets to express his client’s interest in returning to the NFL, according to a report from NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.
JEMELE HILL FLOATS COLIN KAEPERNICK AS AARON RODGERS’ REPLACEMENT AFTER JETS STAR’S INJURY
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is 35 years old and has not played in the NFL since 2016.
The last time Kaepernick appeared to come close to making a football comeback was in 2019, when the league planned a private workout at the Atlanta Falcons’ training center. The workout was essentially scuttled when Kaepernick changed the venue at the last minute.
The NFL then listed him as a no-show, but Kaepernick did have a workout at a high school about 44 miles from the Falcons’ headquarters.
Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers passes against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium Nov. 6, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
The league claimed representatives from 25 teams were sent to the Falcons’ training grounds and that all 32 teams would have received video footage of the workout if it had taken place as originally planned. Representatives from at least seven NFL teams reportedly attended Kaepernick’s alternative showcase.
“We are disappointed that Colin did not appear for his workout,” the league said in a statement in November 2019. “Today’s session was designed to give Colin what he has consistently said he wants, an opportunity to show his football readiness and desire to return to the NFL.”
Colin Kaepernick looks to make a pass during a private NFL workout at Charles R. Drew High School Nov. 16, 2019, in Riverdale, Ga. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, Kaepernick posted a video on social media showing him throwing passes to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and other NFL receivers.
In July, Kaepernick expressed confidence about his ability to still play in the NFL.
“I’m going to keep pushing,” Kaepernick told Sports Illustrated in July. “I’m going to keep fighting for it because I know I can step on the field and play. Every workout, every opportunity I’ve had to show that, the feedback has always been positive.”
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Jets head coach Robert Saleh said the team will move forward with Wilson, saying, “This is Zach’s team.” Wilson was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He struggled considerably during his first two years in the NFL and was benched last season.
