LaDainian Tomlinson Comments on Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg

Future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson thinks the same way as many New York Jets fans when it comes to fixing the team: It needs to find a quarterback.

"The Jets have all the pieces except for the quarterback," Tomlinson said Sunday, per Brian Heyman of Newsday. "If they can find a quarterback this offseason that can be the future of this franchise, I think they have everything else they need."

While he wants to see the team add someone through either the draft or free agency, he also thinks players on the roster like Bryce Petty should get an opportunity to show what they can do.

"I think he deserves a chance," Tomlinson said of Petty. "He looked good enough last year toward the end of the season that you can give him a shot."

Petty appeared in six games last season, four of which he started, throwing three touchdown passes with seven interceptions while posting a 60.0 passer rating.

Meanwhile, the former Jets running back, who played for New York in 2010 and 2011, didn't forget about the team's second-round pick from 2016.

"You've still got Christian Hackenberg sitting there. You've got to see what you have in him," Tomlinson added, per Heyman.

Hackenberg was inactive for most of the season and didn't see the field during his rookie year.

While improving at quarterback is an obvious fix for most teams, the position was especially a problem for the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick earned the majority of the playing time but managed just a 3-8 record as the starter while struggling individually throughout the season. He finished with a 69.6 passer rating, which ranked last among 30 qualified players.

Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith, who are both free agents, are unlikely to return after disappointing performances, leaving the team in the hands of Petty, Hackenberg and whoever else New York brings in during the offseason.