Advertisement

Oh right, the New York Jets still don't have a quarterback

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer

Lost in the kerfuffle of the Denver Broncos' quarterback mess is that we've gotten to tax day and the New York Jets still don't have a quarterback either.

Perhaps it's that we all think that eventually Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets will find some kind of middle ground and come to a deal, but there hasn't been a Broncos level of public worry about who will start for the Jets.

Fitzpatrick is unsigned, the very little information that has leaked out has indicated the sides aren't close, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Monday there's no deal expected by the draft. That seems clear, given how little movement there has seemingly been, but it is putting the Jets in a rough spot.

The only quarterbacks the Jets have on the roster are Geno Smith and Bryce Petty. How does that make you feel? The Jets need to figure out if they need to draft a quarterback, or even whether to sign one of the few competent free agents on the market, like Brian Hoyer, who was released by the Houston Texans on Sunday.

It's rare for a team to get this deep into the offseason without any idea who its quarterback will be, but here the Jets are.

(AP)
(AP)

On one hand it seems like the Fitzpatrick-Jets reunion is inevitable. There aren't many other places for Fitzpatrick to go, and certainly not for the money he's rumored to be asking for. But the Jets don't seem to be offering a ton. Rich Cimini of ESPN said it's more than $7 million to $8 million that has been reported in some places, but that still might mean a low offer (relatively speaking) for a quarterback who threw for 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns last season and had the Jets on the verge of the playoffs. Then again, Fitzpatrick has been mostly a journeyman in his career, will turn 34 this season, and probably isn't worth close to the $18 million per year handed out to Sam Bradford and Brock Osweiler this offseason.

If Fitzpatrick refuses to play for millions less than he thinks he's worth, or unless the Jets panic and pay him a ton, it's possible the stalemate could continue for a while.

Either way, we've made it to April 18 and the Jets have no quarterback, unless you're ready to jump on the Geno train for another season. It certainly adds some intrigue to the Jets' draft plans, if Fitzpatrick remains unsigned for another week-and-a-half.

2016 NFL draft

- - - - - - -

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!