The New York Jets have spent plenty of years trying to fix their quarterback situation, and even with Geno Smith now in place, there’s still an obvious need to get better at the position long-term.
FanSided’s Charlie Baduini believes there could be a decent fix, at least one that might make sense for the Jets, proposing a move for Will Levis as a backup option and potential starter one day.
“Levis, the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, is clearly the odd man out on the new-look Titans. He wasn't a draft pick of general manager Mike Borgonzi, and he has no ties to new head coach Robert Saleh or offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. He may be exactly what the Jets need in their new backup quarterback. Levis has real starting experience under his belt, and wouldn't crumble under the pressure of being thrust into the starting spot if Smith goes down with injury. In 21 career starts, Levis has completed 61% of his passes for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
“Despite a 5-16 record as a starter, he's only 26, and may still have some upside in him. Who knows what could happen if Frank Reich gets his hands on him? Maybe he doesn't have a chance of being the long-term starter the Jets are looking for, but he could at least be a steady backup, and maybe even be the mentor for the rookie in 2027 if things with Smith don't pan out,” he wrote.
The Jets aren’t necessarily looking for a quarterback battle right now, but they do need a better backup and someone who can be what they want in the future. If Smith goes down, the season will likely fall apart with what they currently have. Perhaps that’s what the Jets want, no matter what, but Aaron Glenn could be coaching for his job, so I doubt that.
Levis has shown that he has a lot of tools to be excited about. An uber athlete, he has a cannon of an arm and has the quarterback body that teams look for. He’s also still very young and could develop into a starting quarterback if given the chance.