With roster cuts closing in, the Jets could be in the market for a veteran quarterback - but Tua Tagovailoa is the wrong one.
New York has already spent time weighing backup options, and that conversation only gets louder as teams sort through their initial 53-man decisions. Darren Mougey may wind up having to make an unexpected move, even if the dream target, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, looks like a difficult swing. Final cuts usually shake loose a few veterans, and quarterbacks can quickly become part of that churn.
Tagovailoa is one of the names suddenly in play. Only months after signing a one-year prove-it deal with the Atlanta Falcons, he could be looking for another home. He has been battling Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job, and the early returns have not gone well. iHeartMedia’s Benjamin Allbright reported that teams have already called Atlanta about trading for the seven-year veteran.
Allbright also said the Browns’ Dillon Gabriel, Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy, and Colts’ Anthony Richardson could be moved. Gabriel and McCarthy each have at least two years of team control left, while Richardson is a pending free agent.
Even with that market taking shape, the Jets should steer clear of Tagovailoa.
The idea of New York adding a veteran backup has been floating around for a while. A little more than a month ago, the question was whether the Jets should trade for a backup quarterback at all, after weighing Raiders third-stringer Aidan O’Connell. At the time, the case against spending draft capital on a backup was already pretty clear.
A lot has shifted since then. Bailey Zappe may have played himself off the 53-man roster, and Cade Klubnik has essentially locked down the No. 2 spot behind Geno Smith. The Jets still haven’t said whether they’ll keep a third quarterback on the roster, and league rules would allow a practice-squad passer to enter a game in an emergency.
But Tagovailoa still doesn’t make sense.
Atlanta is only guaranteeing him roughly $1.21 million, which gives the Falcons an easy exit if they want it. Miami is on the hook for the $54 million in guaranteed money, so the financial risk for another team is limited.
The bigger issue is the player himself. Tagovailoa has dealt with multiple concussions, has been injury-prone, and never really established himself as a top-10 quarterback in his six seasons with the Dolphins.
Even at his peak, he looked more like a No. 16 quarterback than a No. 10 one.
And if a team is going to trade for a quarterback, there are cleaner bets out there. Depending on how the market develops, Gabriel or the Titans’ Will Levis would make more sense. Based on recent trades involving non-quarterbacks, the price for a passer might not even be steep - maybe a late-round pick, a backup, or both.
Still, if the Jets want a veteran insurance option, they should look elsewhere. Case Keenum and Gardner Minshew both fit the bill much better as established starters and reliable No. 3 types.
Tagovailoa, though? That’s a pass. Someone else can take that swing and live with the disappointment that may follow.
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