Gang Green continues to search for its future quarterback.
But this week’s starter against New England, Brady Cook, certainly isn’t the answer.
In Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey’s first year as coach and general manager, they signed Justin Fields, hoping he could be a reclamation project like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.
However, with a 3-12 record, the Fields experiment failed miserably, and there’s a chance that he will be released before the start of the new league year on March 11. Many Gang Green fans have been clamoring for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy this year after leading the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record.
The problem is that the Raiders and Browns, who could also both draft quarterbacks, are ahead of the Jets in the current draft order, according to Tankathon. The Jets would currently draft fourth, while the Giants, Raiders, and Browns would have the first three picks of the 2026 NFL Draft.
If the Jets aren’t in a position to draft Mendoza, what should they do?
“So knowing that I have three first-round picks in 2027, knowing I have two in 2026, I go ahead and trade up,” CBS Sports NFL analyst JP Acosta told the Daily News. “Of course, the 2027 class is loaded with potential, but the 2027 class also has [Ohio State receiver] Jeremiah Smith, [Auburn receiver] Cam Coleman. It’ll have [South Carolina defensive end] Dylan Stewart, it will have all these other great talents at other positions.
“I don’t think this offense is that far away from being great, especially if you can get a quarterback and a receiver in this class. The receiver class is really deep. You can find on Day 2 someone who can fit in between the areas of that offense. You gotta go get your guy now because you might not know what happens in 2027.”
The Jets will come into this offseason with a lot of picks and money to spend. They are equipped with two first-round picks following the Sauce Gardner trade to the Colts. The Jets also have two second-round picks in 2026 and three first-round picks in 2027 after shipping Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys, which they could use to trade up to draft Mendoza or Oregon quarterback Dante Moore should he decide to declare for the draft.
In addition, the Jets are projected to have over $90 million in cap space in 2026, according to Over the Cap. This gives them a ton of flexibility, whether they want to go the trade route to add a quarterback or look towards the draft to find their savior.
If I were the Jets, I would make the move to trade up to draft Mendoza or Moore. Not having a quality quarterback in this league is like having one hand tied behind your back. It is nearly impossible to compete with the Patriots, Bills, Broncos, Chargers, and Jaguars without one.
The quarterback trade options this offseason aren’t enticing. Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa are two quarterbacks who are expected to be dealt after disappointing seasons.
Which is why, if the Jets can swing a trade to get Mendoza or Moore, they should do it. Moving up from No. 3 to No. 1 in the draft order wouldn’t likely require giving up a ton of draft assets.
However, teams likely know how desperate the Jets are, given that Mendoza and Moore are the only worthy top-five quarterbacks in this draft. But both first-round picks with a first-rounder in 2027 and maybe a third-round pick in 2027 would likely be enough to get the trade completed, especially if the Giants have the top pick, since they do not need a quarterback after drafting Jaxson Dart last April.
Gang Green will need a bridge quarterback, whether or not they draft one. So players like Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett or Washington’s Marcus Mariota, who are both free agents, could be in play.
Brissett has started 10 games with Murray out most of this season due to a foot injury. He has thrown for 2,911 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Mariota has started eight games for Jayden Daniels and has been serviceable, passing for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Either Brissett or Mariota would be an excellent tutor for a young quarterback. But if you needed them to start for a season while waiting for a quarterback in 2027, they could do that.
Sunday’s game between the Giants and the Raiders could give us a glimpse into what the future could look like for a quarterback for the Jets. If the Giants win, the Raiders and Browns could have the top two picks in the 2026 draft. If that is the case, the rookie quarterback pickings could be slim in April.
The only other quarterback who could potentially be first-round worthy is Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who will play Mendoza and the Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Simpson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns in Alabama’s come-from-behind victory against Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
“Ty Simpson is a guy that started out hot, but I’m worried about his accuracy profile,” Acosta said. “I just think he’s a little more athletically limited than Mendoza and Moore. But he is a fearless middle-of-the-field passer.
“He’s going to throw that ball over the middle of the field, despite some of his limited athletic tools, and he throws a lot of confidence in that area. Some of the stuff against pressure has been a little up-and-down this season. But if you’re looking for a guy that you want to take a swing on, maybe Ty Simpson can be the guy you draft and let him sit.”
After placing Fields on injured reserve this week, Glenn declined to address whether he would be on the roster in 2026. But with $23 million on the 2026 cap, including $20 million in salary cap, the Jets will be all but sure to have a new quarterback.
Even if Fields were on the field against the Patriots and the Bills during their final two games, they would likely lose those teams anyway. But the only way they’re going to compete with the New England’s and Buffalo’s of the NFL is if they address the position that’s been alluding since the Joe Namath days of the 1960s and 70s.
