The New York Jets aren’t bringing in another quarterback yet. The team is starting Zach Wilson, and Tim Boyle was elevated from the team’s practice squad on Tuesday. He will be Wilson’s backup for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Boyle backed up Aaron Rodgers for two seasons in Green Bay. Randall Cobb has been named "emergency quarterback" if Wilson and Boyle cannot play, as Brian Costello of the New York Post notes.
Emergency quarterbacks are rarely used, but it does happen. The Denver Broncos needed to employ an emergency quarterback in 2020 because all four QBs missed the game due to COVID-19 protocols.
The New York Jets should be in good hands based on what happened in last Monday’s thriller against the Buffalo Bills. After Rodgers went down, the Jets had a come-from-behind win. Zach Wilson played efficiently by going 14-of-21 for 140 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
When was the last time Randall Cobb played quarterback?
Cobb played quarterback his first two years at Kentucky (2008, 2009) before transitioning to receiver full-time in 2010.
Cobb won his first QB start at Mississippi State and is the first true freshman to start and win an SEC road game since freshmen became eligible in the early 1970s, via UK Athletics.
Cobb was a dynamic playmaker at Kentucky. He was named first-team All-SEC as an all-purpose player and won team awards as Kentucky’s Most Valuable Player, Most Outstanding Offensive Player and Most Inspirational Offensive Player, via UK Athletics.
Since then, Cobb has mostly played wide receiver, but Green Bay employed Wildcat formations and used Cobb as a running back, so he still served a purpose as an all-around player.
Will the New York Jets add a third quarterback?
It’s a good early-season story that Cobb is serving as the de-facto third quarterback, but the New York Jets must find another signal-caller.
The team reportedly was looking into signing Brett Rypien off the Los Angeles Rams practice squad, but he was promoted to the active roster on Wednesday. Rypien played for then-head coach Hackett last year as a member of the Denver Broncos.
In his first NFL start, Rypien beat the Jets 37-28 on "Thursday Night Football" as he threw for 242 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in that game.
The Jets need a quarterback who is willing to be a backup. So that would cross off Carson Wentz, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan. The options available are Joe Flacco and Colt McCoy. Those two options would be good in the short term, but the Jets would prefer Wilson plays well enough for them to make their first playoff appearance since the 2010-11 season.
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