The New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals both have a quarterback issue.
The Bengals lost superstar signal-caller Joe Burrow for at least three months due to a turf toe injury. Cincinnati has a lot of faith in backup quarterback Jake Browning to weather the storm, but he was horrendous in Week 3.
In New York, Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields hasn't looked like the long-term answer the Jets were hoping for and he is currently recovering from a concussion, leaving backup signal-caller Tyrod Taylor to start in the meantime.
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox thinks both the Jets and Bengals could have interest in a trade for New York Giants veteran quarterback Russell Wilson following his recent benching.
While Wilson has only looked good in one of his three outings this season, he's a very experienced starter who could potentially fill in for one of the myriad of injured quarterbacks for a game or two.
Perhaps more importantly, Wilson's $2 million base salary would make him a reasonable target for virtually any team. That's why Wilson makes our list and Atlanta Falcons backup Kirk Cousins—who has a $27.5 million base salary—does not.
Potential Suitors: Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets
Wilson is now expendable after the Giants reportedly decided to make the switch to rookie Jaxson Dart, who figures to get the nod the rest of the way. It's not even like New York needs Wilson as a backup, either, as the team also has Jameis Winston.
If a team comes calling for Wilson, the Giants would be foolish not to trade him away, even if it's for a minimal return. Wilson is a free agent in 2026 and is now highly unlikely to be back.
We wouldn't anticipate the Jets making this kind of trade, though. Wilson probably isn't an upgrade over anyone the Jets have now and he isn't going to be the long-term solution the team needs at the age of 36.
Furthermore, the rebuilding Jets have no shot at competing for anything serious in 2025 and shouldn't be giving up draft capital for an old, declining signal-caller.
The Bengals are a different story.
It is conceivable that Wilson could be an upgrade over Browning after what we saw last week and that should be attractive to a Bengals team that is hoping to compete for big things if it can stay afloat until Burrow gets back.
Knox estimates that Wilson will cost a conditional fifth-round pick in a trade, but we're skeptical he'd fetch even that much. If the Bengals can get him for a sixth-rounder, they should pull the trigger to give themselves some insurance behind Browning.
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