Could the Washington Commanders trade veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett if the New York Jets come calling after Aaron Rodgers' shocking injury?
The NFL is a weird and wonderful place. It can throw up some Cinderella stories and derail any emerging fairytale with cutthroat ruthlessness in the blink of an eye.
This was evident on Monday Night Football when quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a serious-looking injury just four offensive snaps into his New York Jets career. The legendary signal-caller suffered a torn Achilles, ruling him out for the entire campaign and perhaps even ending his glittering time in the league depending on whether he wants to go through some grueling rehabilitation.
Gang Green and head coach Robert Saleh haven't thrown in the towel just yet. They are planning to move forward with Zach Wilson while also examining all potentially available free-agent options that can step in if things don't go according to plan with their 2021 first-rounder.
Commanders could extract a decent return for Jacoby Brissett
According to multiple reports, the Jets are looking for someone familiar with their scheme. But according to Jordan Reid of ESPN, it might be worth Joe Douglas giving the Washington Commanders a call to inquire about the availability of Jacoby Brissett.
"I think the Jets will give Zach Wilson a couple of weeks to show improvement. If not, to me, the most realistic trade option should be Jacoby Brissett. Not a ceiling raiser, but he’s someone that at least gives you a chance to keep the ship afloat. The interesting part and other angle to all of this though is would Washington even entertain a trade for him with Howell still being an unknown? Tough situation for the Jets to be in."Jordan Reid via X/Twitter
Brissett didn't have much shot at beating out Sam Howell for the starting quarterback job. However, the Commanders view him as an important mentor and capable understudy if injury strikes or the former North Carolina star flatters to deceive.
It's not hard to see why Reid labeled Brissett as a tempting proposition. He is experienced, efficient and can also help Wilson's development along the way.
Of course, asking Brissett to do what Rodgers can is pushing it. This is a four-time NFL MVP and a future first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, so every option in free agency, the trade market, or even coaxing Tom Brady out of retirement would be a downgrade.
Dominique Foxworth also said overpaying for Brissett is the best way to go on ESPN's Get Up this morning. This is their championship window - which is exactly why they traded for Rodgers in the first place - so the Commanders might be able to extract a Day 2 pick from the Jets in this scenario.
It would leave the Commanders short of options behind Howell. Jake Fromm would likely get called up from the practice squad, who had a good preseason and could be a steady backup if Washington gets an offer it cannot refuse for Brissett.
The Jets have to do something. Saleh can declare all the confidence he likes in Wilson, but we all saw how desperate they were to get Rodgers and we all saw how the No. 2 overall selection capitulated last season.
This is a supply and demand situation. Everyone around the league knows the Jets are desperate and will look to extract the maximum amount - something that could work in the Commanders' favor if Brissett does become a primary target.