The Jets took a swing on Justin Fields, and by midseason, the offense was stuck in mud while the front office started shipping out stars like Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. It wasn’t a panic move — it was an admission. The window they thought they had never opened, and now they’re resetting everything around one question: who’s playing quarterback in 2026?

What makes this offseason different is that New York isn’t boxed in. They’re staring at a likely top pick, a mountain of extra draft capital, and the kind of flexibility that lets them either draft their future or swing big for someone already in the league.

The $40 Million Mistake

You don’t hand out a two‑year, $40 million deal to a reclamation project unless you’re convinced there’s still runway. The Jets were. They believed the supporting cast and a cleaner, quicker pass game could unlock Fields. Instead, 2025 turned into a greatest‑hits compilation of familiar problems: protection breakdowns, hesitation on rhythm throws, red‑zone stalls, and the kind of third‑down inefficiency that you just can't overcome every Sunday.

The record told the story early — they opened the year 0‑7, and even after a brief two‑game win streak, the passing game hasn't come close to lifting them out of the hole. Fields is second-worst in both yards per game and touchdowns per game, and the offense just seems constantly stuck. By Halloween, the question wasn’t whether the Jets would reassess after the season. It was how fast they could pivot.

Then came the loudest tell of all: a deadline teardown. Moving Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner wasn’t just about value; it was about admitting the current structure wasn’t winning anything soon and stockpiling picks for a rebuild around a new gunslinger. When a front office trades core franchise pieces, it’s not tinkering — it’s charting a new path.

The Draft Path (Most Likely)

Given how the season’s trended, the Jets are right in the mix for No. 1 overall and almost locked into a top‑5 pick. They can sit tight and take the best quarterback on the board, slide back a couple of spots and still land their guy while pocketing another premium pick, or even jump from 3 or 4 all the way up to number 1 overall without blowing up their future. They control the board in a way that feels pretty rare.

1) Fernando Mendoza, Indiana — The Point‑Guard Problem Solver

Why he’s in the pole position: Accuracy. That’s the big one. Mendoza checks a lot of boxes — decent arm, great footwork in the pocket, calm presence when everything around him is loud — but it’s the ball placement that elevates him from “interesting Day 1 or 2 pick” to “top quarterback on the board.”

He plays like a veteran: steady eyes, clean mechanics, and an understanding of timing that feels way beyond his age. He’s big (6‑5, 225), throws with layered touch, and consistently delivers the ball exactly where it needs to be. When you stack that with the high‑leverage throws he’s hit in big moments, it’s not hard to see why scouts talk about him like the safest evaluation in the class.

What needs management: The arm is good, not outrageous. If you ask him to live on deep sideline outbreakers into tight man every drive, you’re playing into his weakness. When he has some mechanical lapses, things can go haywire quickly. With some NFL focus on consistency, that should get squared up in a hurry.

Jets fit: If New York wants to have a standard MFL offense (under‑center play‑action, quick game, shotgun spread on 3rd down) with a quarterback who gets you “on schedule” right away, Mendoza is the cleanest projection. Build the offense around timing, play‑action, and middle‑field reads to Garrett Wilson, and you’re maximizing what makes him special without forcing him to be someone he’s not.

2) Ty Simpson, Alabama — The Timing-and-Toughness Distributor

Why he’s QB1B on some boards: Simpson’s 2025 leap was exactly what NFL rooms wanted to see: faster full‑field processing, better pocket presence, and confident intermediate accuracy. But the more you dig in, the more you see why some scouts quietly have him neck‑and‑neck with Mendoza at the top.

He’s got a cannon for an arm — not just “good enough,” but the kind of pop that jumps off the screen. He checks almost every box you want in a modern starter: he can move if he has to, he’s comfortable throwing to all three levels, and he plays with that calm, almost veteran-level feel when the picture gets muddy.

There’s a lot to like here. He does everything well. He doesn’t panic, he doesn’t rush, and when he gets into a rhythm, the ball comes out with confidence and touch. The only real knock — and it’s a common one for young quarterbacks — is that he’ll occasionally get a little too locked onto a single target. You can see him decide pre‑snap who he wants, and every now and then he’ll try to force it instead of working through the progression. But that’s coachable, and the rest of his game is incredibly steady.

What needs management: He’s not a fireworks show off platform. You don’t want endless “hold, hold, create” calls. Give him answers pre‑snap and rhythm throws post‑snap and he’ll carve up defenses.

Jets fit: If the Jets want the lowest variance in Year 1 with solid intermediate accuracy and grown‑up timing, Simpson’s your guy.

3) LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina — The Traits-and-Tools Swing

Why he grabs scouts’ attention: Sellers is the kind of prospect who walks into a room and immediately looks like an NFL quarterback. He’s built like a tank at around 6-3 and 240 pounds, with legit dual‑threat athleticism and an arm that jumps off the tape. The measurables alone make him impossible to ignore — he’s big, strong, and moves like a linebacker who happens to throw the ball 60 yards without needing to step into it.

But the conversation with Sellers always shifts to one thing: is he too similar to Anthony Richardson? Teams won't soon forget that saga, where scouts fell in love with traits and then realized the development curve isn’t a guarantee. Fair or not, Sellers is going to get some of that same scrutiny. The question becomes: does Richardson’s uneven arc scare teams out of taking another traits-first swing? Or do they look at Sellers and see a cleaner, more disciplined version of the same archetype — a player with similar athletic upside but a better foundation as a passer?

What needs management: Like most young dual‑threat quarterbacks, Sellers is still smoothing out his accuracy and consistency. He’ll drift into hero-ball mode at times, extend plays longer than they need to be, and occasionally get stuck on his first read. The tools are special — the polish is a work in progress.

Jets fit: If New York wants to build an offense with movement, RPOs, designed QB runs, and a vertical passing game that stresses defenses at every level, Sellers is the high-upside swing that can bring that. After how this year's run-first quarterback experiment has gone, that option seems like a bit of a stretch. He’s not the safest projection, and he might need a veteran bridge early on, but the payoff could be massive if their able to be patient with him.

The Veteran Trade Path

As much as “just draft him” makes sense on paper, real life in the NFL is messier. Owners love a splashy name. Coaches love someone who can keep them employed. And front offices love having a plan that doesn’t hinge entirely on a rookie figuring out NFL speed in real time. So if the Jets decide they aren’t sold on this class — or if they simply want a steadier hand while a rookie learns the ropes — there’s a world where they look at proven NFL quarterbacks instead. These are the swings that actually make sense if they go that route.

Kyler Murray, Cardinals — The Star Swing That Might Actually Be Available

The case: This is the one big-name swing that actually makes sense when you zoom out. Kyler’s season in Arizona has been a roller coaster — flashes of the old playmaker mixed with some really poor decision making, a lingering mid-foot injury that derailed his season, and now real noise about whether the Cardinals are ready to move on altogether.

When Jacoby Brissett stepped in and the offense looked steadier than it did with Kyler in there, the whispers got louder. And with Murray’s massive contract and the constant "are we building around him or not?" questions, it feels like both sides know a split might be coming.

On the field, though? Kyler still brings top-10 creation ability. He’s one of the few quarterbacks who can turn a broken play into a 25-yard gain without breaking a sweat. The arm talent’s there, the second‑reaction stuff is still dangerous, and when he’s healthy, he gives you designed‑run leverage in the red zone that defenses have to plan for.

What it would cost: Because of the contract, this likely isn’t the monster haul people assume. A second‑rounder and maybe a Day‑3 sweetener probably gets you in the conversation, and the Jets might be desperate enough to dangle a first — but they probably won’t have to.

The acquiring team would take on roughly a $42 million cap hit, which would put Kyler around 14th among quarterbacks next season (before the usual offseason restructures bump things around). Expensive, sure, but not franchise‑crushing — especially if you believe he’s the guy who stabilizes the offense immediately.

Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins — The Moon Shot

The case: This one feels like the definition of a moon shot — enormous extension, face‑of‑the‑franchise status, and all the in‑division drama that would come with it. But if Miami cracked the door open even an inch, the Jets are one of the few teams with enough draft capital to actually make them think long and hard about it. And stylistically, it’s easy to see why New York would at least peek: Tua brings elite timing, a master-level command of the RPO world, and the kind of intermediate accuracy that lets an offense live in rhythm instead of chaos.

Still, this would be wild even by NFL standards. Trading your highly-paid quarterback to a divisional rival? That’s front-page, owner-to-owner negotiation stuff. And the Dolphins would only consider it if something really breaks internally — but with a new GM coming in, that's starting to seem more and more likely.

What it would cost: Think multiple firsts and probably some financial cooperation from Miami to make the numbers more friendly for the Jets. The odds are insanely low, but it stays on the board for one reason: the Jets’ unique urgency and the sheer amount of draft ammunition they’re sitting on. If New York wants to swing for the absolute fences, this is the kind of move that would shake the whole league.

Kirk Cousins, Falcons — High‑Floor Adulting

The case: Cousins has a no‑trade clause, and Atlanta’s whole situation is… let’s call it complicated. They paid him real money, they drafted a quarterback high anyway, and now both sides are trying to pretend this marriage still makes sense. But if the Falcons decide they want clarity — and if Cousins wants a starting job that isn’t on a week‑to‑week evaluation — there’s a world where Atlanta eats some salary and listens.

Cousins isn’t your forever answer, but he raises the floor immediately. He’s the kind of veteran who keeps you on schedule, gets the ball where it’s supposed to go, and doesn’t turn Sundays into a roller coaster. For a rookie walking into the building, having someone like that in the room can be a real stabilizer.

What it would cost: Probably Day‑2 capital, which is about the going rate for a high‑level adult at quarterback. Atlanta’s been stubborn about wanting to keep him publicly, but that only lasts so long when a franchise is clearly shifting timelines. You’re not paying for fireworks — you’re paying for competence and stability, two things the Jets haven’t exactly had at this position in a long time. And if you don't have to give up a ton to get him, they'd still have the draft capital left over to take their guy in the draft and let him develop.

So Which Way Should the Jets Go?

If this were just a spreadsheet decision, the answer’s simple: draft your quarterback and spend the rest of your capital making life easy for him. The Jets finally have the ammo to do this the right way — no shortcuts, no half‑measures. Pick your QB, pick your WR2, add a TE who can run after the catch.

But football isn’t a spreadsheet. You can’t formula your way into a franchise guy, and you definitely can’t script development. You have no idea if the wideout you take will ever become more than a WR4. You never really know if a rookie quarterback — even one taken at the top of the draft — is going to hit. And after watching this class all year, it’s fair to admit there’s not that can’t‑miss, plant‑your‑flag, no‑questions‑asked guy. That’s why this decision feels bigger than just “pick one and pray.” It’s about protecting the future of the franchise — and, if we’re being honest, the future of Aaron Glenn’s job.

The most sensible path forward looks something like this:

1. Call Arizona about Kyler. Not as a pipe dream, but as a legitimate option. If the price lands near a second and a Day‑3 throw‑in — or even a single first if the Jets feel the squeeze — that’s the one veteran swing that can actually change the offense overnight without detonating their future. The cap hit isn’t perfect, but it's manageable.

2. Draft anyway. Even if Kyler walks through the door with his suitcase and playbook, you still spend a top‑100 pick on a quarterback. The Jets cannot live in another season where one injury or one slump leaves them with nothing behind the starter.

3. Build the runway. Whoever the quarterback is — Kyler, Tua, a rookie, or both — none of it matters if the supporting cast is a patchwork job again. Use the extra picks to finally fix the line, add the YAC‑threat tight end, and find the vertical WR2 who punishes single coverage. Every great QB looks even better when the pieces around him make the job easier.

If they get the choice right, we’ll look back at the midseason sell‑off as the moment the franchise finally stopped duct‑taping their problems and actually worked to fix them long-term. If they miss, well… Jets fans don’t need me to spell out what that looks like.

Either way, 2026 feels like the first real chance in years for the position to stop being a weekly referendum and finally become a weekly advantage. That’s the bar. And for once, the Jets actually have everything they need to clear it.

All stats courtesy of NFL Pro.

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