With Tom Brady announcing his retirement Wednesday, there’s one less quarterback option for the New York Jets next season. Though he wasn’t likely to ever sign with the Jets, Brady was an intriguing free agent. And now that he’s off the board, that ratchets up the competition for other available quarterbacks this offseason.

The Jets are in the market for a veteran QB after Zach Wilson flopped the past two seasons, ending 2022 benched for the second time. Jets owner Woody Johnson said that he’s willing to pay what it takes to land a veteran quarterback.

So, the Jets join a string of teams looking for a QB upgrade this offseason. The game of musical chairs intensifies with Brady no longer in the mix.

That said, let’s  rank the Jets’ best quarterback options in 2023 with Tom Brady off the table.

5. Zach Wilson – Jets

Cue the screaming and profanity!

O.K., now settle down.

The odds that Wilson starts Week 1 for the Jets next season are minimal, but it’s likely he’ll be on the roster. If he’s on the roster, there’s going to be a chance at some point that he plays. If he plays well (BIG if), he’ll be given the chance to grab the starting role again. That would be an ideal situation because it’d mean that Wilson was living up to expectations and the Jets could again look to him as the long-term answer at QB.

The Jets say they are committed to fixing all that ails the 23-year-old, who you may remember was the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft. That means general manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh are invested in Wilson being a success. However, they’re also invested in keeping their jobs, so Wilson is far from the No. 1 option to start next season.

But don’t rule out Wilson working his way back into the mix in 2023 either.

4. Ryan Tannehill – Titans

Ryan Tannehill is under contract to the Titans for one more season at a sizable salary cap charge ($36.6 million). So, it would appear unlikely the Jets would trade for the 34-year-old. But if new Titans GM Ran Carthon plans on selecting a quarterback with the No. 11 overall pick in the draft or wants to reunite with free agent Jimmy Garoppolo, whom he had in San Francisco with the 49ers, Tannehill could be released.

The Jets could do worse than Tannehill. After an uneven start to his pro career with the Dolphins, he led the Titans to the playoffs three straight seasons (2019-21) and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2019. He thrived with Derrick Henry pounding the rock in Tennessee and would be a good fit for the run-first Jets, who feature Breece Hall as their lead back.

Tannehill will be coming off ankle surgery, but that shouldn’t be an issue heading into the 2023 season.

3. Derek Carr – Raiders

If Derek Carr is their guy, the Jets need to be decisive and act quickly to land him. Carr is owed $40.4 million in guaranteed money by Feb 15. So, the Raiders will either trade Carr or release him by that date. That means the Jets must decide if he’s worth trading for and then pay the freight on his hefty salary or play a game of chicken with other teams interested in the 31-year-old and see if he is cut. Carr then would be eligible to be signed ahead of other free agents once he’s released.

Hence, the Jets need to be aggressive if Carr is the QB they want.

And why wouldn’t the Jets want him? Carr still has a lot of good football left and would be a long-term answer for them.

However, he wouldn’t come cheaply, his interception rate spiked the past two seasons, he was benched the final two games this season and he never has had much success playing in cold weather. So, Carr is no slam dunk to cure all the Jets' ills at quarterback.

2. Aaron Rodgers – Packers

Wait, what? Aaron Rodgers is not the best option for the Jets?

Listen, the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer would be an amazing get for the Jets. You’d have to figure he’d be super motivated to prove that he’s still elite after a so-so 2022 season and would embrace the opportunity to be the guy who gets the Jets back into the playoffs. Having his BFF Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator in New York would be a major plus, too. A rumored trade to New York has already been embraced by stud rookie Sauce Gardner and Jets legend Joe Namath.

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Add to the mix that Rodgers was Wilson’s boyhood idol. Perhaps Wilson would benefit greatly by learning directly from Rodgers, who recently had positive things to say about him.

But it’s not that simple. There’s a heavy dose of drama that comes with Rodgers, starting with the fact that he hasn’t even decided if he wants to play next season. Plus, simply working out a trade with the Packers would be difficult, as would opening up the needed salary cap space. Then Johnson must have the stomach to sign the $59.465 million check for what Rodgers is owed in 2023. Let’s not even imagine the brutal cap charge the Jets would face if Rodgers retired before the 2024 season, also leaving them needing another QB at that point.

1. Jimmy Garoppolo – Free Agent

Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t bring the flash that Rodgers does, but he would provide the one thing the Jets need most in a starting quarterback: stability. The 31-year-old is smart and efficient, manages the game well and is a winner. He’s 40-17 as a starter in the NFL and led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV after the 2019 season. He doesn’t wow you with his arm or stats but does know how to defeat you.

Jimmy G is a free agent, so there’s no muss and fuss having to work out a trade. Plus, he likely can be had for a reasonable contract. He’d be a plug and play in Hackett’s West Coast offense and consistently get the ball into the hands of playmakers like Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and Breece Hall.

The downside is Garoppolo tends to get hurt and is currently recovering from an injury. That’s a concern, but not enough that the Jets should shy away from signing him. Garoppolo is the best option out there to fill their need at quarterback.