The New York Jets learned their lesson the hard way last season when they bet all their chips on Aaron Rodgers without having any real plan if their new franchise QB got hurt.
Obviously everyone knows how that ended up.
The Jets looked like they’d be a very solid contender before the season began and many believed they could contend for a Super Bowl. But, just four plays into the season, starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a season-ending Achilles injury.
The New York Jets never really recovered from that, and both Wilson and Tim Boyle tried to lead the team the rest of the way. Wilson, who was the former No. 2 overall pick, went 4-7 as a starter. He threw for 2,271 yards and had eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has one year left on his initial four-year deal, but the Jets are widely expected to trade or cut him.
Team owner Woody Johnson didn’t hold back his frustrations with the team’s lack of having a backup plan when he spoke publicly about the offensive woes at the NFL Honors earlier this month.
“The discussions I’ve had in the last couple of months, they’ve seen me about as mad as I can be with what was going on, with the offense particularly,” Johnson reportedly said, via ESPN.
“We have all this talent, and we have to deploy talent properly. So I think they all got the message. This is it. This is the time to go. We’ve got to produce this year.”
According to the report, when asked specifically by reporters about the team’s need for a backup, the New York Jets owner agreed.
You need a backup quarterback,” he said. “We didn’t have one last year.”
Now as we approach the 2024 season, Wilson is a member of the Denver Broncos and the Jets have Tyrod Taylor as a backup plan in case something tragic happens with Rodgers again. The team also drafted Florida State QB Jordan Travis a few weeks ago, who will likely be the third-string QB and potential successor for Rodgers in the future.
On paper, it looks like the Jets have a roster that can compete in the ultra-competitive AFC. Off the field, though, the organization is dealing with a serious matter involving a car accident that left a man paralyzed.
Terrifying Video Shows Moment New York Jets CB Brandin Echols Lost Control Of His Car In Accident That Left Man Paralyzed
The Jets organization and fourth-year cornerback Brandin Echols face a lawsuit stemming from a 2022 car crash.
Following an automobile accident in April 2022, a man from New Jersey filed a lawsuit in Morris County Superior Court against the New York Jets, cornerback Brandin Echols, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
That day, according to authorities, Echols was traveling at 84 mph in a 50 mph zone on the Columbia Turnpike in Florham Park, New Jersey, when he collided with Stephen J. Gilberg’s BMW in just five seconds. Echols was operating a 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat at the time.
A new video of that frightening accident involving New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols has now surfaced. It reveals the moments before and during the crash, when he lost control of his Hellcat.
The NY Post was able to obtain a 10-second dashcam tape. The video shows Brandin Echols trying to pass Gilberg’s black 2018 BMW X5 on the left while driving the black 2021 Hellcat. Gilberg’s SUV is propelled over the railing when the muscle car abruptly veers to the right and collides with the driver’s side of the Beemer.
NEW: Newly surfaced video shows the moment that NY Jets cornerback loses control of his Dodge Charger Hellcat at 84 mph
Brandin Echols was charged with assault by auto charges but entered a three-year pretrial intervention program, potentially leading to charge dismissal… pic.twitter.com/uQiayBZ3oU
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) May 5, 2024
Gilberg was taken to Morristown Medical Center following the crash. He had two spinal surgeries, and amassed medical bills of nearly $1 million by March 2023, according to his claim.
The New Jersey Herald‘s Lori Comstock reported that the New York Jets CB was accused of fourth-degree assault by a vehicle by Florham Park police. Furthermore, he “was issued motor vehicle summonses for reckless driving, speeding, unsafe lane change, improper passing, and failure to wear a seatbelt after the accident.”
Brandin Echols was admitted into a three-year pretrial intervention (PTI) program during a hearing in February 2023. When he finishes the program, the charges will be dropped. He also has to make “restitution” payments to Gilbert of $1,200 per month until that amount reaches $54,460.
The injured New Jersey man has said the crash and injuries will “forever haunt me.”
Stephen Gilberg was permanently injured in the April 26, 2022, crash involving Jets cornerback Brandin Echols.
“While I’ve made certain strides physically, such as learning to walk again, albeit not in the same way I used to, it’s the nerve damage and the pain you don’t see,” Gilberg said during a February 2023 court hearing. “The physical things I will never be able to do and the psychological trauma I am living with every single day that will continue to impact the rest of my life.”
He and his spouse are bringing legal action against Echols, the New York Jets, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and others. They are claiming negligent driving and car assault. According to the lawsuit, there was “negligent design and installation of curbs and guardrails” by the DOT.