In a weeklong series, The Post is looking at alternate realities in New York sports. Today’s edition looked at what would have happened had Bill Belichick not resigned as head coach of the Jets. Here are some other big Jets what-ifs from the past 30 years:
What if the Jets drafted Brett Favre in 1991?
The Jets had Favre as the No. 1 player on their draft board, but did not have a first-round pick. Favre fell to the second round, where the Jets were picking seventh. They had a deal with the Cardinals to move up two spots, ahead of the Falcons, but Arizona backed out. Atlanta took Favre and the Jets ended up taking Browning Nagle.
What if the Jets did not fire Pete Carroll as coach?
Carroll went 6-10 in his one season as Jets coach in 1994. Owner Leon Hess fired him after that season after becoming enamored with Rich Kotite, whom the Eagles had just fired. Kotite was a disaster. Carroll went on to win national championships at USC and a Super Bowl with the Seahawks.
What if Peyton Manning did not stay in school?
The Jets had the No. 1 pick in 1997 and had just hired Bill Parcells as coach. Manning was expected to leave Tennessee after his junior year and the Jets would take him, setting up their franchise for the next decade. Instead, he stayed at Tennessee for his senior year and the Jets traded the No. 1 pick.
What if Vinny Testaverde did not get injured in 1999?
The Jets had been to the AFC Championship game in 1998 and appeared primed for a Super Bowl run in ’99. But the 35-year-old quarterback ruptured his left Achilles tendon while trying to recover a fumble in Week 1. The Jets got off to a 1-6 start and missed the playoffs at 8-8.
What if the Jets drafted Russell Wilson?
Jets senior personnel executive Terry Bradway wanted the Jets to take the Wisconsin quarterback in 2012 so bad his nickname was “Russell Bradway” around the building. The Jets stuck with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. Wilson won the Super Bowl in his second season.