The New York Jets Aaron Rodgers Era lasted four plays before the quarterback went down with a season-ending injury in Week 1. Now, the franchise has some tough decisions to make. The Jets' roster is loaded with talent, and with the right QB, they could be Super Bowl contenders. So, do they stick with Zach Wilson, sign a free agent like Tom Brady or Nick Foles, or do they make a trade? If the Jets opt for a trade, here are the four QBs they should target.

4. Trey Lance, Dallas Cowboys

Zach Wilson and Trey Lance went two, three in the 2021 NFL Draft. Neither has lived up to their potential yet, and Lance is already on his second team after the San Francisco 49ers traded him to the Dallas Cowboys this preseason.

The Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for the former North Dakota State signal-caller, and by not telling Dak Prescott, upset the apple cart a bit in the process. After causing a little unrest in his locker room, maybe Jerry Jones will be willing to do a nice little piece of business and flip his fourth-round pick into a third or even a third and a fourth or fifth by sending Lance to New York in a Jets trade.

For the Jets, Lance gives them more depth at probably the lowest price of any of these options, and since he has less experience than Wilson, maybe he has more upside as well. At the very least, Lance’s legs give offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett a few more options to work with, and maybe he can help the young QB develop.

3. Gardner Minshew, Indianapolis Colts

The mid-level option for a potential Jets trade after the Aaron Rodgers injury is going after a player like Indianapolis Colts backup Gardner Minshew. The 27-year-old QB has shown flashes of talent in brief stints around the NFL and seems to have more composure and leadership skills than Zach Wilson.

Colts rookie Anthony Richardson played well in his NFL debut, helping his team hang with the Jacksonville Jaguars for three-and-a-half quarters. He was 24-of-37 (64.9%) for 223 yards with a touchdown, an interception, 40 rushing yards, and a rushing TD.

Richardson does run a lot, so he will likely get hit and miss some plays, as he did at the end of the Jaguars game. That said, the truth is if Richardson does go out, the Colts shouldn’t really want to win those games anyway, so they get better picks to build around their franchise QB in the future.

That makes a high-end backup like Minshew surplus to requirements, so if the Jets offered a second-round pick for the veteran QB (which would take some finessing as now they owe their 2024 second-rounder to the Green Bay Packers) that could get the deal done.

2. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Like the Colts, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office probably doesn't want to win as badly as the players and coaches do. The team is in a horrible long-term quarterback situation after Tom Brady retired, and the truth is the team would be best served by losing games, getting rid of most of the current players and coaching staff, and drafting a QB like USC's Caleb Williams at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The problem is, Baker Mayfield may never live up to his No. 1 overall draft pick stock, but he has proven he can win games in the NFL. And that's exactly what he did in Week 1 when his Bucs upset the favored Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.

Mayfield might be available for a little cheaper than Gardner Minshew, as he is actively winning games for a team that should be trying to boost its draft picks. If the Jets make Mayfield a trade target and cough up two thirds for Matfield, that might get it done.

1. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

The big Jets trade the team could target would be for injured Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. The two-time Pro Bowl QB is recovering from an ACL, and the Jets would need to know he’ll be ready to go soon to make this deal happen.

Also, trading for Murray is a huge risk, as he’s injured, possibly a bad team guy, undersized, and maybe not that good under the constraints of a winging NFL offense. All that said, Murray has been excellent at times during his four years in the league and may be a good enough quarterback to lead this Jets team — with its incredible defense and running game — to a Super Bowl.

It will likely take multiple first-round picks to pry Murray away from the Cardinals (even if they don’t really want him anyway), and bringing him in would take some major salary chicanery, as it would be nearly impossible to add Murray’s $46.1 million per season to Aaron Rodgers’ $37.1 million per year as currently constituted.

All that said, if Kyler Murray is going to be healthy and ready to play soon, the Jets are already all in on 2023, and making a deal for the embattled Cardinals QB could save the season.