The New York Jets will begin the 2025 NFL season with Justin Fields as their unquestioned QB1. It's what happens when a player is signed to a two-year, $40 million contract and the only viable backup option is Tyrod Taylor.
As a result, the Jets' season will live or die based on how Fields takes to his second act as a starting quarterback, one that Gang Green hopes goes better than the first time he held that role with the Chicago Bears from 2021-2023.
It's a risky approach taken by general manager Darren Mougey. Sure, it's Year 1 of his regime, and maybe he didn't want to make a long-term commitment to a first-round quarterback or higher-profile veteran starter. But he had options available to him during the 2025 NFL Draft to help soften the potential blow of a Fields failure.
Former Colorado star and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was ripe for the taking -- several times -- in the 2025 Draft and would've been a logical target for the Jets. Here are three reasons why.
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Shedeur Sanders would've been the ideal backup QB for the Jets
How excited would Jets fans be if their QB depth chart included Fields and Sanders at the top? It would give the fanbase hope that they have two swings at landing a franchise quarterback, even if Sanders' presence would've created pressure on Fields to deliver early in the season.
If Fields isn't mentally tough enough to handle a high-profile backup like Sanders, then he won't be tough enough to handle what comes along with being a starting quarterback in New York.
Shedeur Sanders is a better passer than Justin Fields
There's no doubt that Fields is a better athlete than Sanders, and perhaps that's the style of play the Jets want out of their starting quarterback. It likely factored into Tyrod Taylor being their choice for QB2. But New York could've diversified their quarterback room with Sanders, who's more of a pocket passer than Fields and Taylor have ever proven to be.
If Fields' dual-threat skill set isn't enough to lead the Jets to a winning brand of offensive football, Sanders would've represented a fantastic Plan B.
Sanders would have no problem handling the bright lights of New York
If there was any quarterback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft who was made for New York, it was Shedeur Sanders. He's been in the spotlight throughout his entire football career and received the equivalent of a master's degree in media pressure during his final two years at Colorado. He will have little trouble assimilating to live as a pro quarterback, and was uniquely qualified to handle the Jets beat.
Had Mougey really thought this through, he would've landed on Sanders as an option in the fourth round (he wasn't drafted until the fifth round) with one of his two picks. A young backup quarterback with starter's upside is much more valuable than a safety or rotational receiver, which is what the Jets spent their two fourth-round picks on this year.
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