It’s almost time for the NFL’s annual free agency frenzy.
The new league year will begin on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. However, agents and teams can begin negotiating on Monday starting at noon.
The Jets will enter free agency with a lot of cap flexibility to go with their 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Gang Green added two additional first-round picks after trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline last November. When it comes to free agency, the Jets will have $74.3 million to spend after placing the franchise tag on Breece Hall on Tuesday. That’s excellent news for Jets general manager Darren Mougey, as they have a lot of holes to fill.
In addition to the obvious quarterback conundrum they will have to solve, the Jets could use multiple receivers to pair with Garrett Wilson and edge rushers after trading Jermaine Johnson II to the Titans.
Mougey and Jets coach Aaron Glenn will enter a critical offseason following a horrific 3-14 record. Not that they want my advice, but if I were Mougey and Glenn, here are some of the moves I would make this offseason.
SEE IF CARDS MAKE BRISSETT AVAILABLE
The Jets have been linked to just about every quarterback who’s expected to be available. Although many have connected them to Kyler Murray, who is expected to be released, the Jets should be more interested in the player who replaced him.
With Mike LaFleur now their coach, the Cardinals are rumored to be in the market for another QB. If that is the case, the Jets should be on the phone finding out what it would take to trade for Jacoby Brissett.
After Murray suffered a foot injury, Brissett, 33, was more than serviceable in his 12 starts for the Cardinals. He passed for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
If it would only take a Day 3 pick to acquire Brissett, count me in. He would be the ideal bridge quarterback for the Jets, and I would even give him a one-year extension in the process.
It’s no secret the Jets will go quarterback-hunting in the 2027 draft, which is expected to be a significantly better class than this year’s. Brissett also has ties to the Jets’ offensive coordinator, Frank Reich. During his three seasons in Indianapolis (2018-20), Reich coached Brissett. So obviously, he knows the system that will be installed during spring workouts.
Out of all the other possible bridge options, Brissett is the best because of his experience and knowledge of the league.
SIGN ANOTHER VETERAN QB; LET TAYLOR WALK
Just because the Jets will likely be in the market for a young quarterback next year doesn’t mean they shouldn’t draft one in 2026. Considering all the issues the Jets have had at quarterback for the previous 15 years, they should keep swinging until they find a solution.
That’s why the Jets should select a Day 3 quarterback to develop. In addition to that, they should add another veteran QB alongside Brissett.
Tyrod Taylor has been mentioned as an option if the Jets go in that direction. But one of the best skills is availability, and Taylor hasn’t always been available when needed.
When the Jets were set to bench Justin Fields in Week 8, Taylor injured his knee. He also suffered a groin injury in a Week 14 loss to the Dolphins.
Gang Green signed Bailey Zappe to a futures contract. But someone like Carson Wentz and Panthers backup Andy Dalton, who each have experience in Reich’s system, would also make some sense for the Jets.
GO AFTER PASS RUSH HELP
It appears the Jets will use their second overall pick on a pass rusher. But why stop there, because you can never have too many good pass rushers.
With Will McDonald IV, the only notable pass rusher on the roster, they could use a veteran presence on the edge. Especially with Gang Green expected to use a hybrid 3-4 season with Glenn now the defensive playcaller.
Although he is older, Leonard Floyd could be a good fit for the Jets. Yes, this is the same Floyd, 33, who sacked then-Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the play in which he tore his Achilles in 2023.
After producing at least 8.5 sacks in five straight seasons, Floyd’s production dipped in his lone season in Atlanta. He recorded 19 tackles, including 3.5 sacks and one pass defense in 15 games.
If affordable, Floyd would be a solid defensive complementary player along with McDonald and a young draft pick.
TRY TO KEEP VERA-TUCKER
A good, versatile offensive lineman is hard to find. A player who’s a unicorn — plays four out of five offensive line positions — rarely hits the free agent market. But it appears Alijah Vera-Tucker will become a free agent once the negotiating period begins.
At the NFL Combine, Mougey was asked about the vacant left guard position, with Vera-Tucker and John Simpson both impending free agents.
“We’ll stay in contact with those guys, monitor them throughout the free agency process, and just go through the free agency process and see where that lands,” he said.
Vera-Tucker missed the entire 2025 season after suffering a torn triceps a week after the preseason concluded. He has suffered three season-ending injuries in four seasons (2022, 2023, and 2025).
Despite his injury history, Vera-Tucker is one of the premier interior linemen and should have a robust market, according to various sources. During his five seasons with the Jets, Vera-Tucker has played every offensive line position but center.
Vera-Tucker, 26, could sign a one-year prove-it deal to show he can remain healthy. If that is indeed the case, the Jets have the funds to keep him on an ascending offensive line that will likely continue to get better.
None of the five starting offensive linemen for the Jets missed a game last year. Four of them — Olu Fashanu, Josh Myers, Joe Tippmann and Armand Membou — are all under contract for next year. The Jets can still bring back Vera-Tucker and draft his eventual replacement next month.
ACQUIRE DOUBS, IF PRICE IS RIGHT
The Jets shouldn’t just add one receiver this offseason — they need multiple players to help alleviate pressure off Garrett Wilson, who missed 10 games last year with a knee injury.
Romeo Doubs, who led the Packers receivers in snaps (831) and targets (94), could find that his best landing spot is with the Jets. In 16 games, Doubs caught 55 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns.
Doubs is a possession receiver, who thrives on winning 50/50 balls. He also has consistent hands and is a sound route runner who could excel in Reich’s system.
Adding Doubs and another receiver in the draft would help improve a Jets offense that finished 29th in yards and points per game. Whoever the quarterback is in 2026, having Doubs alongside Wilson and maybe USC receiver Makai Lemon would set the Jets offense up for success.
