Jets News
NY Jets Eye Carson Wentz as Frank Reich’s Preferred QB Option
The New York Jets are targeting Carson Wentz as their top quarterback option in free agency, with offensive coordinator Frank Reich driving the interest, according to a report from SNY’s Connor Hughes.
Two sources told Hughes that Wentz is believed to be Reich’s “preferred option” at quarterback. A third source added pointedly: “No one loves Wentz more than Frank.”
The Jets, coming off a 3-14 season, are expected to seek as many as two veteran quarterbacks this offseason. Agents who met with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine came away with the impression that New York wants to add a pair of veterans rather than rely on a single option, Hughes reported.
Reich and Wentz have a well-documented history. Reich served as Wentz’s offensive coordinator during his first two seasons in Philadelphia. In 2017, Wentz went 11-2 as a starter, threw for 3,296 yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and was a front-runner for the league’s MVP award before tearing his ACL against the Rams in Week 13. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII without him.
The two were reunited in 2021, when Reich, then the Colts’ head coach, brought Wentz to Indianapolis via trade. Wentz threw for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions that season. The Colts finished 9-8 but were knocked out of playoff contention in the final week of the regular season.
Wentz, 33, spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings, making five starts while filling in for an injured J.J. McCarthy. He completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions before a shoulder injury ended his year. He is expected to be fully healthy when free agency opens on March 11.
His past four seasons have taken him through Washington, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and now Minnesota — all backup or spot-start roles. If he lands with the Jets, he would likely enter a competition for the starting job in what would be his sixth team in six years.
The Jets have also discussed Geno Smith, and reportedly had interest in Jacoby Brissett, though a source told Hughes an Arizona trade for Brissett is considered unlikely.