New York Jets: Jay Cutler Projected As 2017 Starting Quarterback

The New York Jets will have Jay Cutler under center in 2017 based on John Clayton’s quarterback predictions.

Anyone who watches the NFL knows that the New York Jets have a quarterback problem. It has been this way for a very long time, seemingly since Joe Namath was under center. The Jets have had other players with varying success such as Chad Pennington, Vinny Testaverde, Mark Sanchez, Ken O’Brien, and Richard Todd.

It looks like the quarterback drought will continue for the foreseeable future. The Jets have youngsters in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, but a popular opinion is that their 2017 starting quarterback is not on the roster.

Petty has had some positives in his three starts this season, but the negatives outweigh them. Not all the problems have been his fault, such as the offensive line play, but he remains inaccurate and his ability to read a blitz has been poor. Those things can improve with reps, but how long are the Jets willing to wait?

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Hackenberg was selected by the Jets in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. But, he is reportedly not near ready to be contribute; something you do not want to hear from about a second round pick, let alone one that has had months of preparation time.

For those reasons, people believe the Jets will be adding a quarterback this offseason that will compete for the starting job. Over at ESPN, John Clayton put together a piece projecting which quarterback will end up where. The Jets understandably landed on the list, and he has them going the route of another veteran player.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith will both hit the market this offseason, leaving Petty and Hackenberg as the only quarterbacks on the roster. There is no chance the Jets let that happen, which is why Clayton believes that the Jets will have Jay Cutler under center as their starting quarterback in 2017.

Here is what Clayton has to say about his pairing of the Jets and Cutler.

"Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith will be free agents after the season, and they aren’t likely to return, unless it’s at a cut price as a backup. That leaves recent draft picks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, but I don’t think either is likely to start for the Jets in 2017.That means the Jets need a veteran signal-caller to protect themselves, and Cutler makes sense. New York could buy some time to develop a long-term answer, whether that’s Petty, Hackenberg or a QB from the 2017 draft, while Cutler gets a another chance to prove himself."

Cutler has a gunslinger mentality, which the Jets could use given some of the weapons they have at the skill positions. He has three winning seasons under his belt and one playoff appearance with the Chicago Bears in 2010.

Bringing in a veteran makes sense as well as a tutor to the younger players, but there are serious questions to if Cutler is the right guy for that role.

For one, his attitude and personality will not play well with the ruthless New York media. The Jets, also, desperately need a leader in the locker room, and offensively, and Cutler would not provide that based on his history.

Cutler would be a clear upgrade over what the Jets currently have, but would making a move for him be worthwhile? It is tough to envision a scenario in which Cutler coming to the Jets works out well for everyone involved.

Cutler has been at his best when he has a strong defense behind him and a running game to lean on, the same thing that Fitzpatrick rode to success in 2015. Unfortunately, those are two things the Jets cannot consistently provide as currently situated.

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Add in the state of their offensive line, and it is tough to imagine a veteran such as Cutler pining to play for them. Cutler is probably tougher and better than given credit for, but the Jets should look elsewhere for quarterback help.

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