NFL Rumors: New York Jets Could Pursue Lamar Jackson

The New York Jets are apparently willing to do whatever it takes to improve their quarterback situation. Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show, NBC Sports' Peter King postulated the team could pursue Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson if they fail to acquire Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“I think the biggest story in the offseason is going to be what happens with ________.”@peter_king set up for us what’s going to dominate #NFL news in the coming months: pic.twitter.com/E1MC96boeg
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 15, 2023

The Jets have also been linked to free agent quarterback Derek Carr. The team is in the passer market due to the disappointing start to the career of 2021 second-overall pick Zach Wilson, who has managed a mere 70.9 passer rating and 5.02 net yards per attempt across 22 career starts. The Jets narrowly missed the playoffs in 2022, and they clearly believe they can contend if they improve at the sport's most important position.

Acquiring Jackson would be an aggressive and extremely costly transaction for the Jets. He could command a deal that makes him the highest-paid quarterback in the league, and he'd likely demand a trade package that dwarfs the massive haul the Seattle Seahawks received from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Russell Wilson.

As the Denver Broncos can attest, taking a huge swing at quarterback doesn't guarantee success. Jackson is much younger than Wilson and has reached much higher peaks as an offensive weapon; he led the Ravens to the most points in the league in his 2019 MVP season. However, he's regressed in recent years. Including the postseason, he has missed 11 total games in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and the Ravens have ranked 17th or worse in scoring in each of those seasons.