The New York Jets finished with a 3-14 record last season and will have the second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It is very unlikely that New York will draft a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. They need to fill out a lot of holes on the roster. This is not a deep quarterback class at all outside of Fernando Mendoza of the Indiana Hoosiers.
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Nov 13, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) with New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields (7) and teammates gather for a prayer on the field after the game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Jets need to figure out a plan at quarterback for the 2026 season. They may not stick with Justin Fields for 2026 despite having only one year remaining on his contract. Is there a chance that New York could trade within the division with the Miami Dolphins to get quarterback Tua Tagovailoa?
PFF Suggests That the New York Jets Trade For Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa This Offseason
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Jan 4, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks out of the player tunnel before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
New Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan could very well have plans to start over at the quarterback position this offseason. There is no doubt that Tua is going to be on the trade block. A potential trade within the division with the Jets could be an interesting one. Bradley Locker of profootballnetwork.com thinks that both teams should make a deal with each other this offseason. He said about how New York should trade for Tagovailoa this offseason,
“The Jets are stuck between a rock and a hard place this offseason when it comes to quarterback. The team’s two-year, $40 million investment inJustin Fieldshas already aged poorly, but it seems highly unlikely that New York will take a signal-caller with the second overall pick in the draft. Still, Aaron Glenn’s offense must upgrade at the position, possibly by taking a big swing.
Tagovailoa underwhelmed in a big way last season, leading the league with a 5.4% turnover-worthy play rate and being benched after Week 15. At the same time, he’ll be 28 during the 2026 campaign and flashed with an 88.6 PFF passing grade in 2023. His talent is still evident, as reflected in games last year against the Panthers and Falcons.
With the Jets bringing in Frank Reich as their new offensive coordinator, landing an accurate quarterback who can attack horizontally seems most logical for his West Coast scheme — and Tagovailoa has proven capable of that throughout his career. As Glenn’s and general manager Darren Mougey’s seats continue to warm, the team can’t be passive in fixing an offense that ranked 30thin passing EPA per play last year. Tagovailoa’s $56 million cap hit is tough to swallow, but it should also make him easier to acquire — especially if Miami can incur some of his salary.”
Tagovailoa is 27 years old. Last season, he completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Tagovailoa is not a great option to trade for, but he could be an interesting bridge option for the Jets for one season and would technically be an upgrade over Fields. Another team to potentially watch for in the Tua sweepstakes is the Arizona Cardinals.
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