The first two games show that the Zach Wilson experiment has failed and the New York Jets have to find a replacement. And our author thinks that one name in particular comes to mind.

The New York Jets’ season has been a rollercoaster so far. After the offseason, they suddenly seemed to be a Super Bowl candidate with the signing of Aaron Rodgers.

Then came the disastrous rupture of the 39-year-old’s Achilles tendon against the Buffalo Bills on only his fourth snap as New York quarterback, followed by the 22:16 victory in overtime on Xavier Gipson’s punt return, and finally the bitter 10:30 loss to the Cowboys in week two.

Especially in the most recent game against Dallas it became clear: the Zach Wilson experiment has been a resounding failure.

The 24-year-old gave away the Jets’ final three attempts in the game with interceptions in each case. The culmination of an abysmal performance that immediately caused ridicule and scorn on the Internet.

After two games, the second pick of the 2021 draft stands at 310 passing yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions while completing just 54.2 percent of his passes.

Once again, sub-par statistics that the Jets can’t let him get away with in what is now his third season. A new quarterback is desperately needed until Rodgers can hopefully return in 2024, because New York’s roster is too loaded to miss out on making the playoffs again.

The Jets putting Aaron Rodgers back out there for Week 3 after seeing a complete game from Zach Wilson pic.twitter.com/HcwevhM438

– NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) September 17, 2023

The US broadcaster “CBS” last brought Kirk Cousins, playmaker of the Minnesota Vikings, into the conversation. A transfer that would be quite feasible and absolutely right for the Jets in purely formal terms.

Cousins trade as a sign

If general manager Joe Douglas can pull off this trade, it would be the strongest possible sign that the team is doing everything it can to get rid of the image of the eternal loser.

Cousins is having an outstanding season so far: after two games in 2023, he has 708 passing yards, six touchdowns, a completion rate of 72.7 percent and only one interception – numbers Wilson can only dream of at best.

Jets must use title window

If the Vikings’ defence and running game were anywhere near Cousins’ level, the franchise would be in a much better place than its current record of two losses from two games.

But while Minnesota is currently in a rebuild and will probably be looking for a new quarterback in 2024 anyway, the Jets are in a narrow title window that must be used before expensive contract extensions are due for the young core of the team around cornerback Sauce Gardner.

If the first year of this window is not to be wasted, a new starter is needed. And that starter can only be Kirk Cousins.