Dan Orlovsky suggests alternative to Aaron Rodgers trade for New York Jets

Now that the New York Jets have an offensive coordinator, the question is what direction they’ll go at quarterback. They have a few options — including a couple in Green Bay, according to ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky.

Orlovsky discussed four routes the Jets could go to solve their quarterback questions centered around Zach Wilson, who had an up-and-down 2022 season that saw him wind up on the bench. New York hired former Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator on Thursday, which could be part of a plan to land Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. One of the criticisms of Hackett’s hiring was how poorly things went in Denver, especially considering he didn’t last a full season.

But Orlovsky pointed to another coach who had a rough go at his prior stop before his next stop: Matt LaFleur, who was the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator before heading to Green Bay.

“You have four options if you’re the Jets,” Orlovsky said on NFL Live. “Keep Zach Wilson, he’s the guy. Unlikely. No. 2, get Jimmy Garoppolo, get Jordan Love, get Derek Carr, somebody like that. Is that really like, ‘Oh, here we go?’ Draft another young kid. Or go get Aaron Rodgers. That’s the reality.

“Marcus, I understand your point of like the 30-second offense. I remember Matt LaFleur was the offensive coordinator of the Titans and they were 28th in the NFL. He went to back-to-back NFC Championship games [with the Packers].”

Dan Orlovsky: Jordan Love could be a target for the Jets because of his connection with Nathaniel Hackett

Orlovsky’s fellow analyst, Keyshawn Johnson, was quick to point out LaFleur had his success with Rodgers — a two-time MVP — as his quarterback. That’s why he thinks Rodgers should be the Jets’ top tartget.

But Orlovsky suggested the Jets should look into another Packers quarterback if Rodgers stays put: Love, the third-year quarterback who’s played in 10 games over his time in the NFL. That said, Garoppolo could also be a target because of his situation in San Francisco and his familiarity with the West Coast offense.

“Let’s live in the world where Green Bay’s like, ‘No, we’re not trading [Rodgers],’ OK? Then, I do think it’s like Jordan Love, because of the connection that he has with Nathaniel Hackett,” Orlovsky said. “I do think it’s Jimmy Garoppolo because of the understanding of the system. Those are the two likeliest for me that make the most sense when it comes to, ‘We have to win this year because our jobs are dependent upon it.'”