Mike Tannenbaum’s ESPN co-stars were incredulous after his latest outlandish take.
The former Jets general manager suggested Monday morning on “Get Up” that Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson should be Aaron Rodgers’ backup with the Jets for the 2024 NFL season as a breakup with Denver looms.
“I actually think he’d be a great fit with the New York Jets, and here’s why,” Tannenbaum began, prompting ex-Jet Bart Scott to throw his hands up, Dan Graziano to get up from his chair and walk away with his hand on his face and Brian Custer to reply, “oh my gosh.”
“Pay him a million dollars and let him resurrect his career,” Tannenbaum continued. “I actually have experience with this. Vinny Testaverde got cut by the Baltimore Ravens. We signed him in June [in 1998] and went to the [AFC] Championship game that year.”
At that point, Scott picked up Tannenbaum’s mug and looked inside, wondering what he was drinking.
Tannenbaum, who joined the Jets front office in 1997 and was their GM from 2006-12, doesn’t believe another team will want to give Wilson a starting job.
“Where else is he gonna go? He has to resurrect his career. So if you have to sit for a year, why not sit behind one of the greatest of all-time and then be a free agent again? Guys, where is he gonna go? He’s [35] years old. No one’s gonna hand him a starting job. He’s gonna have to be a backup somewhere.”
Custer then said that “Florham Park would be like the Real Husbands of Hollywood if you have Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.”
The Jets badly need an upgrade in the quarterback room after Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian had to play as Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into the 2023 season.
“We need a backup quarterback,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said at the “NFL Honors” on Feb. 8. “We didn’t have one last year.”
But Russell Wilson settling for a backup job, particularly behind Rodgers, seems farfetched.
A trade seems out of the question as Wilson, who turns 36 in November, is guaranteed $39 million next season and another $37 million for 2025 if he’s on a roster by March 17.
So if the Broncos are set on moving on from Wilson, they’ll likely have to eat $85 million in dead cap charges.
While Wilson’s two seasons with the Broncos have been disappointing since he was traded by the Seahawks, he did improve in 2023, throwing for 26 touchdowns against eight interceptions with 3,070 yards in 15 games.
Sean Payton benched Wilson for the final two games in favor of Jarrett Stidham.
Last week on “Get Up,” Tannenbaum suggested that the Giants should trade Daniel Jones to the Browns for Deshaun Watson and a second-round pick.