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Carson Wentz, Top Available QBs amid Aaron Rodgers' Intention to Be Traded to Jets

Paul Kasabian

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stated on the Pat McAfee Show Wednesday that he intends to play for the New York Jets in 2023.

The hold-up appears to be trade compensation between the Jets and Packers, but that appears to be a formality as Rodgers changes shades of green in 2023.

With that being noted, here's a look at the top three available quarterbacks out there right now in the aftermath of the Rodgers news.

Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota got the chance to start for the first time in three years in 2022 after the Atlanta Falcons made him QB1. He didn't end the year atop the depth chart, however, as rookie signal-caller Desmond Ridder eventually took over as the starter. Mariota then left the team before the season ended to address a knee injury.

Mariota completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns (nine interceptions) and 7.4 yards per pass attempt, finishing a respectable 14th in ESPN's QBR metric. He added 438 rushing yards and four touchdowns for a run-heavy offense.

It's hard envisioning any team giving Mariota a starting gig. His best bet is to find a spot like Las Vegas in 2020, when he signed a two-year, $17.6 million deal as insurance for starter Derek Carr. He'll be one of the top backups in the league wherever he lands.

Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz is now searching for his fourth team in four years after his stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders ended poorly.

Wentz was benched for Jalen Hurts by the time his career in Philadelphia ended. He got off to a hot start in Indianapolis and had a good touchdown-to-interception ratio (27:7), but he struggled mightily down the stretch in a pair of losses that led to the Colts missing the playoffs.

The 2022 campaign proved to be a lost season for Wentz, who played just seven games after suffering a broken ring finger on his throwing hand. He finished the year bottom five in both quarterback rating and ESPN's QBR metric, per Pro Football Reference.

Wentz was one of the game's brightest stars in 2017, and he looked like he was on his way to an NFL MVP season. However, a torn ACL suffered against the Los Angeles Rams in Dec. 2017 ended his season amid a Super Bowl-winning campaign for the Eagles.

Wentz was good over the next two seasons (48 touchdowns to just 14 picks), but the bottom fell out in 2020 as he led the NFL with 15 interceptions despite playing just 12 games.

It's hard to see any team giving Wentz a shot at QB1 given the past three seasons, but a team could certainly use him as a high-quality backup right now as he strives to work his way back to his earlier Eagle form.

Teddy Bridgewater

Teddy Bridgewater just finished a one-year stint as Tua Tagovailoa's backup in Miami, completed 49-of-79 passes for four touchdowns (four interceptions) and 683 yards in four games (two starts).

Unfortunately, a dislocated finger knocked him out down the stretch, and a chronic knee injury bothered him during the season as well.

Bridgewater was a starter in 2020 and 2021. He completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns (11 interceptions) and 3,733 yards in 2020 for the Carolina Panthers.

The Denver Broncos then acquired him via trade, and he proceeded to complete 66.9 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns (seven picks) and 3,052 yards.

He's a free agent after his one-year contract with the Dolphins expired.

Bridgewater would be an excellent addition as any team's backup and offers great insurance for any starting quarterback. The former Minnesota Vikings starter has 78 games (65 starts) of experience.

   

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