McCown isn't beating out Teddy. If McCown is starting it's because Bowles know him, likes him and feels comfortable with him. Period.
Best outcome we can hope for out of Teddy is him starting the first 6 weeks, looks fully healthy and semi competent and the Jets trade him for a 3rd-5th rd pick before the deadline. At that point Darnold takes over and is the franchise QB Jets fans have dreamt about for the next decade plus.
Doubtful as Jets have oodles of cash for next offseason and I’d expect Mac to spend like a drunken sailor next offseason.
If he gets us to 10-6 and the playoffs, you franchise tag him if we cannot sign him to an extension. If Darnold is ready, you trade him. If he's not, he sits another year and you stick with Teddy.
I find it comical that in the (hypothetical) situation where we finally get the second 4,000-yard passer of our entire franchise history, there are people saying 'trade him for a third-round pick'. The idea of getting a season like that out of a player and then tossing him away so we can get our heralded but unproven youngster in is baffling to me. If Teddy plays that well he's our quarterback and Darnold can wait for his chance. He's got time on his side.
It's not like there are no analogous situations in NFL history from which we can draw here. In the 2004 Draft, the Chargers select Philip Rivers. The Chargers' starting QB for the 2004 season, while their rookie first rounder rides the bench is a young veteran who has shown flashes, but hasn't been good enough to hold the starting job. He's also in the last year of his contract--Drew Brees. That year, Brees breaks out, throwing for over 3,100 yards and 27 TDs with only 7 INTs, makes the Pro Bowl and is named Comeback Player of the Year. What did the Chargers do after that season? They franchised Brees and brought him back, and when he got hurt in the season finale, Rivers stepped right in. Even after the injury, the Chargers offered him a 5-year deal, but the Dolphins and Saints both offered more. IF Teddy were to break out like that, he would certainly be worth a 1-year franchise tag. The Jets aren't going to be in any kind of cap trouble next year, from what I've seen.
Teddy never showed the abilty to have that kind of season before the injury. This is a HIGHLY unlikely scenario. If he has that kind of year you dont sign him to a 4 year contract cuz he can get hurt in a heartbeat again with that knee.....you try to get something for him and you start the Darnold era that you traded 3 2s and used a 3 overall to get. Its really that simple
Could you imagine if Teddy had a Pro Bowl level season, had the Jets in playoff contention and kept Darnold on the bench all year? If Fitzpatrick could do it, why not Bridgewater?
I agree. I would rather see Darnold sit for a year, having Sanchez flashbacks, and I would rather see Teddy play then Josh. Not predicting any of this but other then Darnold blowing everyone away in pre-season this is the best case scenario.
how about Teddy looks reasonably healthy in camp and the Jets decide to keep him around as depth for a year, in case Darnold gets hurt, and Josh McCown is on the field at the start of the season and we see what happens? Honestly I'd just be happy with Teddy's knee being stable enough that he still roster-worthy at the end of camp. Anything more than that is pure gravy I think.
Likely scenario if Teddy plays that good is the Jets franchise tag him, then he plays next season as the starter. But by then if he faulters, then Sam has a year under his belt and can slide in.
I have said several times that I can't see any way they franchise tag Bridgewater. The reason is that I would put the probability of the scenario described happening at about .001 or less, and it is the only one in which it would make sense to tag him. So yes, you're absolutely right in your answer to an incredibly unlikely hypothetical situation. To me the best case realistic scenario is the one @edray10 said, that he plays well enough in the first couple of months of the season to attract a second round pick in a trade.
I also think it is a long shot, hence "best case scenario". Another possibility is Darnold wins the job but Bridgewater looks good enough in practice to secure a backup job. The problem with this premise is he took a prove it deal so he can get another starting job. Knowing that the Jets would acquire a franchise QB, he had to know that wouldn't be with the Jets (unless the draft pick is a total wind bag, definitely possible).
A few key points I feel people are casually glossing over or avoiding: -Teddy was a more pro-ready prospect coming out of college than Darnold. - In Teddy's NFL time with Minn he executed Zimm's vanilla offensive system exactly the way he was asked to do it in Zimm's attempt to win every game 10-7, playing D and running. But somehow this is a knock on HIS talent... - There keeps being mention of how Teddy could be "injured at any moment" with his previous leg injury. Is this based off of medical knowledge, clinical reports, where is this information coming from that he is more susceptible to a re-injury? I'll wait. I find it highly disturbing that if this scenario was to play out that a large part of this community's members would be looking to trade him away for another chance at an unproven asset, while dealing away the proven one. To reiterate, a franchise that has looked for this type of talent at the position for the last 50 years should trade away said player? And a large portion of this community would support that?
