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“Who will replace Aaron Rodgers?”
That is the most asked yet reasonable question coming from New York Jets fans right now. When FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer broke the bombshell news that the Jets would be “moving on” from the future Hall of Famer, quarterback mystery raced to the forefront for Jets fans.
Who will be the next Florham Park, NJ, signal-caller?
As of this moment, there aren’t too many juicy options. Actually, there aren’t any favorites or “leaders in the clubhouse,” even.
Therefore, the Jets’ next quarterback could come from anywhere, and this means not overlooking a single avenue—which includes three of the more overlooked names that could become available.
To be clear, this list features three guys who I firmly believe are overlooked options rather than my personal top three preferences to take Aaron Rodgers’ job.
Malik Willis
Malik Willis, 25, was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans.
The Liberty product spent two seasons with the Titans, recording three starts with a 1-2 record while completing only 53% of his passes with no touchdowns and 3 interceptions. His short Nashville tenure ultimately gave way to a trade to the Green Bay Packers last offseason in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Following a rough first two NFL seasons without much opportunity, Willis stood out during the 2024 season, serving as Jordan Love’s backup. The youngster appeared in 7 games last season, going 2-0 as a starter while completing 74.1% of his passes for 550 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Malik Willis to Jayden Reed for 34 yards
— Packerfan Total Access- Clayton (@packers_access) December 24, 2024
Great protection from the O Line but man you simply cannot throw this ball any better than Malik did pic.twitter.com/sKQDESCgKG
Willis also recorded 84 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on eight scramble attempts.
While many will immediately dismiss the idea, Willis possesses a lot of upside, and it certainly can’t hurt for the Jets to consider a flier on him as a 2025 bridge option.
Additionally, he is an extremely cheap option. Willis only has one year left on his rookie deal, which has a cap number of $1.4M in 2025.
That said, the Jets would need to acquire Willis via trade.
After being acquired for a seventh-round pick last offseason, a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026, which could become a fifth if Willis plays 60% of the Jets’ offensive snaps in 2025, seems like a fair asking price.
Tanner McKee
Tanner McKee, 24, was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
After not logging a snap during the 2023 season, the Stanford graduate appeared in 2 games, including a win in his only start. McKee completed 30 of his 45 passing attempts (66.7%) for 323 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Tanner McKee threw 3 pass TD on his first 7 pass attempts
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 5, 2025
"My quick math says that he's on pace for 1 million in his career." – @AndrewCatalon 🤣 pic.twitter.com/7aiViCR1Hg
After one season in Philly, McKee has emerged as a fan favorite. However, like Kenny Pickett’s situation, with Jalen Hurts in town, McKee doesn’t seem to have a promising future ahead with the Super Bowl 59 champions.
The young thrower is also a value option, having two years remaining on his rookie contract. McKee’s 2025 number is set at $1.076M and $1.191M in 2026.
Among all three names on this list, McKee is the greatest unknown by a large margin, but it can’t hurt to give up a day three pick or two. Giving him a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job throughout training camp and the preseason might be a worthwhile route.
Taylor Heinicke
Unlike McKee and Willis, the Jets would not need to trade for Taylor Heinicke, who is currently an unrestricted free agent—pending the start of the new league year on March 12, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Heinicke, 31, spent the 2024 season on a one-year, $1.2M deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, serving as the team’s backup quarterback.
Heinicke saw limited action this past season. The veteran appeared in 4 games, completing 3 of 5 pass attempts (60%) for 28 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Here’s 3 minutes of Taylor Heinicke highlights, a Washington Football Team legend 👀🍿#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/5slLZrgDxA
— Wam ✞ (@WamNFL) June 20, 2024
Before his time with the Chargers, the seven-year NFL veteran spent three seasons with the Washington Commanders/Football Team. Across 24 starts in Washington, Heinicke collected a 12-11-1 record while completing 64% of his passes for 5,415 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions.
Heinicke has an interesting connection to the Jets’ new coaching staff. Passing game coordinator Scott Turner served as his offensive coordinator in Washington for all three of his seasons there.
Spotrac lists Heinicke’s free agent market value set at $1.3M this offseason. If the Jets are looking for a cheap option with experience as a full-time starting quarterback, Heinicke could be a viable solution.
