The Jets need a quarterback. More specifically, they need a young, long-term face of the franchise, the likes of which they have lacked since Joe Namath.
But the 2026 draft class only has one high-end quarterback prospect: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is widely expected to be drafted by the Raiders with the first overall pick. A number of college passers decided to return to school for the 2026 season, leaving New York high and dry with the No. 2 selection.
The Jets would be best served by waiting until the quarterback-rich 2027 draft, in which the No. 1 pick will not be required to land an exciting young passer. In the meantime, though, they will need someone to pass the ball to Garrett Wilson, Mason Taylor, and Adonai Mitchell.
That ‘someone’ could very well be two players. The Jets could take a similar approach to their quarterback room as their stadium-mates did last year. The Giants signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency – which did not stop them from trading up into the first-round to draft Jaxson Dart – with the intention of letting the starting competition play out without too much pressure on any one player.
Of the available free agents, new Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich prefers a familiar face, per SNY’s Connor Hughes: Carson Wentz. The two worked together in Indianapolis in 2021 when Reich was the Colts’ head coach. He traded for Wentz despite his sharp regression in Philadelphia the year before, and the former No. 1 pick posted a resurgent season. The Colts moved on from Wentz the following offseason, though the split was driven more by the front office and ownership than by Reich and his coaching staff.
Geno Smith, who was released on Friday, is another option named by Hughes. So, too, is Jacoby Brissett, though he is still under contract with the Cardinals and they do not intend to move him. However, if Jimmy Garoppolo follows Mike LaFleur from Los Angeles to Arizona, Brissett could become available for the Jets.
The Jets have also been connected with veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone, but they are expected to have competition for his signature. They could then pivot to Micah McFadden, a 2022 fifth-rounder who started 35 games for the Giants in his first three NFL seasons but missed virtually all of 2025 due to a foot injury. The Jets have interest in McFadden, but so do the Giants, via both Hughes and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Depending on the state of his foot, the 26-year-old may need to consider a one-year, ‘prove-it’ deal, but interest from multiple teams could give him enough leverage for a better deal.
Oooof.
(To the Wentz part. Obviously yes, they should add a veteran QB, and no, it probably wont move the needle much anyway.)
“Babe wake up. He said the thing”
Actually Wentz played well for Minnesota last season with no camp and the players liked him. With the colts, Irsay was the one who got rid of him, not the coaching staff or GM. He was the 10th ranked QB in the NFL that season.
In a great support system last season, he was still felled by his two biggest flaws: He struggles under pressure and he can’t stay healthy. I think you’re overestimating his performance in Indy, but also that was half a decade ago now.
Maybe they should just keep Juatin Fields and shoot for 2027….they’re already paying him…..
Plus he’ll provide a guaranteed top 3 pick!
Don’t forget from Wentz you came.
Walk it to em Wentz
“the likes of which they have lacked since Joe Namath.”
LOLJets
Wow, Mark Sanchez does cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana and alcohol before getting into one wildly inappropriate fight and everyone conveniently forgets the back-to-back AFC Championship games in his first two years and the butt fumble….
Fair. It’s also fair to say that Mark Sanchez was not a franchise quarterback, though.
It makes perfect sense for Reich to want Carson Wentz.
He’ll be cheap, and he’s thrived in Reich’s system by far than any other he’s played in over his career.
I’ll wait for the update where the Jets announce they want Christian Hackenberg to return and be a part of their QB competition 🙂