You are never going to believe this, but things are not working out the way the New York Jets had intended.
Despite being putrid enough in Aaron Glenn’s first season in charge to get the No. 2 overall pick at the 2026 NFL Draft, the class of prospects only has one projected franchise-altering talent available in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. He is going to go No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dante Moore, who was the clear-cut No. 2 passer expected to come out of the Class of 2026, announced earlier this week that he will stay at Oregon for one more season, making the Jets the losers of this situation. As of now, no other young quarterback is projected to be a bona fide Day 1 draft pick until the NFL’s mind-numbing pre-draft machine ultimately inflates a talent or two that will have no business being taken in the first round.
Whether that is Ty Simpson out of Alabama or Trinidad Chambliss out of Ole Miss remains to be seen.
So, where does that leave Gang Green?
It once again forces them to the market where they will have to take on a veteran cast-off in hopes of finding lightning in a bottle. That sort of experiment failed miserably with Justin Fields in 2025, as it became abundantly clear halfway through the first season of his two-year contract that he would not be the guy under center moving forward.
Kyler Murray’s relationship with the Arizona Cardinals has all but disintegrated after playing just five games this season. He has two years left on a five-year, $230 million contract extension. That is significant money that the Jets would have to eat, which could hamstring their cap picture, but it would also limit what they would have to give up in terms of draft capital.
There is no question he has a big arm, but his commitment to the game, especially in terms of preparation, has been suspect.
Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers proved that he is capable of being a productive game manager at the NFL level when he stepped in for the injured Brock Purdy this season. He went 5-3 as a starter and appeared in 11 games, completing 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The former New England Patriot is under contract for 2026.
Malik Willis is set to become a free agent after backing up Jordan Love with the Green Bay Packers. The 26-year-old could be seen as a Fields-esque sort of project. He appeared in four games and made just one start, but it was promising. He completed 30 of 35 attempts for 422 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and an additional 123 rushing yards.
Or do they get a miracle with the potential availability of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow? The 29-year-old star fueled trade speculation last month when he spoke about growing tired of losing with his current organization.
When healthy, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the game. In 2024, he led the NFL with 450 completions, 4,918 passing yards, and 43 touchdowns. The problem is that he’s missed a combined 16 games between 2023 and 2025.
It’s a pipe dream, but the Jets certainly have the assets to swing for a blockbuster if it were to arise.
