15 September 2023 , 16:49
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New York Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb will be the team's 'emergency' quarterback to back up new starter Zach Wilson, beginning with Sunday's road game at the Dallas Cowboys.
Cobb, 33, is on standby after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles minutes into Monday's season opener against the Buffalo Bills. The injury is a season-ending one for the veteran quarterback. That has led to some suggestions that the Jets should try to talk Tom Brady out of retirement to replace their stricken starter. But the organisation are adamant Wilson will continue deputising, as he did during the Week 1 game.
Even so, they will still surely acquire another quarterback, as their depth chart was only two deep before being halved in an instant as Rodgers went down. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is the latest name linked as part of a potential trade.
In the meantime, Rodgers' long-time Green Bay Packers teammate Cobb will be on standby should anything happen to Wilson. While the former Pro Bowler has spent the previous 14 years as a receiver, he played quarterback during high school and his first year of college.
While attending Alcoa High School in Alcoa, Tennessee, he played on both offence and defence, plus special teams by the Tornadoes. However, his standout performances came at quarterback on the four-time state champion team while earning a 'Mr. Football' award. After graduating in 2008, he would continue playing the position at the University of Kentucky. Cobb was an SEC All-Freshmen team selection at quarterback after starting four games in the role out of 11 played.
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Playing for head coach Rich Brooks, the freshman was responsible for a touchdown per game, seven of which were from rushing, but the other four were split evenly between passing and receiving. Cobb's sophomore season would see him play predominantly as a receiver while quarterbacking occasionally.
The transition continued into his third and final year. However, he did enter the school history books by scoring rushing, passing, and receiving touchdowns in the same game for the first time in seven years. Overall, he threw for 58 yards and three touchdowns as a junior. Over a decade later, he is closer than ever to showing off his arm again, this time as a pro. However, it comes at the expense of his friend, Rodgers.
“I’d love to play with [Rodgers]," Cobb told the New York Post. "But unfortunate things happen; that’s part of life, and you have to move on. I’m going to be the best friend that I can be for him, but I got a job to do, and I look forward to continuing to put the work in and help this team out any way I can. I worked my ass off to get back from the [season-ending ankle] surgery that I had [last year]."