Five reasons why Tom Brady makes sense for Jets

The combination of Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White at QB dragged down the Jets, who have a playoff-caliber defense. New York owns the 13th pick in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft, too low to select one of the consensus top QBs (Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Will Levis).

Could New York (7-10) turn to impending free agent Tom Brady, who looked dreadful Monday against the Cowboys? Brady will turn 46 on Aug. 3.

Longtime ESPN reporter Sal Paolantonio thinks Brady would be an excellent fit in the Big Apple:

"If Miami really is committed to bringing back [Tua] Tagovailoa, that takes the Dolphins out of the Brady sweepstakes and should make the Jets contenders," he wrote for ESPN.com. "If Brady is looking for a similar situation to the Bucs in 2020, it's the Jets, who have a ready-made defense. He could remake the offense the way he wants."

Here are five reasons the veteran QB would be ideal for the Jets.

1. They have all the other pieces to contend

The Jets are not far from contending for a Super Bowl, with stellar, young wideouts in Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, and Garrett Wilson. New York has a solid offensive line and a running game that will be led by Breece Hall, who was having a terrific rookie season before going down with a torn ACL in Week 7. New York's defense, led by star rookie CB Sauce Gardner, is one of the best in the league. 

2. Brady is still playing at a high level

Playing behind an awful offensive line, Brady threw for 25 touchdowns and 4,694 yards in 2022. Only Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert threw for more yards. This season, Brady had an NFL-record 733 passing attempts, a figure that would dip significantly with the Jets, whose running game should be much improved in 2023. Brady's running game in Tampa Bay was by far the worst in the NFL.

3. Familiarity with AFC East

Before joining the Bucs in 2020, Brady spent 20 seasons with the Patriots. His familiarity with the AFC East could help the Jets against the division beast, the Bills. Brady is 33-3 all time against Buffalo, per Statmuse. Do you think Brady would relish facing Bill Belichick twice a season?

As Paolantonio wrote: "Get your popcorn ready."

4. Playoff experience

Brady is the greatest to ever play the game and brings an element few Jets have: playoff experience. He has made the playoffs in all but one season during his career. During that time, he has racked up seven Super Bowl championships, five Super Bowl MVPs, and three NFL MVPs. The Jets, meanwhile, haven't had a winning season since 2015.

5. Mentor for Zach Wilson

Despite his poor play, the Jets don't seem ready to jettison Wilson, their former first-round draft pick. Enter Brady, who is more than capable of handling the spotlight. "I'm eager to try and improve," Wilson said earlier this month, per Jets.com. Who would be better to push him than the G.O.A.T.?