The Jets are going to need to bring in at least one veteran quarterback this offseason. Unfortunately the options aren’t exactly great.
Below I’ll rank the quarterbacks based on my own personal preference.
I am beginning with the premise that there is no veteran quarterback worth trading for. Maybe that changes, but I don’t think Jacoby Brissett, Mac Jones, Tanner McKee, Tyson Bangent, Davis Mills, Spences Rattler, Derek Carr, or any other quarterback recently mentioned in trade rumors would be a material difference maker. I don’t want to trade Draft capital for any of these guys. Not one of them will turn the Jets into a winning team, and they aren’t superior to the options the Jets will have in free agency. If you can get an equal talent without giving up a pick, why give up a pick? You shouldn’t.
So let’s look at the options the Jets have in free agency. I have them ranked in tiers.
Tier 1: Low Level Starters
1. Kyler Murray
Let’s not mince words. Murray has been a disappointment. He is a former number one overall pick who has never won a Playoff game or led a top ten scoring offense. He has physical limitations, and there have been negative rumblings about his leadership skills floating for some time. He also seems to be trending down. In three of his last four seasons, he has posted a QBR under 55. Additionally, it isn’t entirely clear he is healthy. It is probably a red flag that the Cardinals are eating so much money to get rid of him.
So after all of that, how can he be ranked number one? Well, for starters the Jets’ options are terrible. Beyond that, even the underwhelming version of Murray we have seen over the last four years would be a substantial upgrade for the Jets at quarterback and frankly the highest level quarterback play the Jets have seen in a decade. Additionally, because of the guarantees and offsets from his Arizona contract, Murray is likely to sign at the league minimum. He might not be a great quarterback, but his production is a great value at a minimum salary.
2. Tua Tagovailoa
I’m sure sticking Tua here will evoke anguish. Again, it is a commentary on how dismal the options are here for the Jets. Like Murray, Tua was a disappointment for his original team. He comes with the added concern of an extensive concussion history. He might be one big hit from his career beng over.
However, like Murray he will likely sign for the minimum due to the guarantees and offsets from his Dolphins contract. At that price, he is also a good value.
Tua’s level of production through his career has been proportional to his surroundings. He can’t create much on his own. If you put him into a good situation, though, he can operate at a high level. It isn’t clear whether the Jets could actually get him a good enough supporting cast, but there aren’t many other quarterbacks available who can operate under any circumstances.
3. Kirk Cousins
Many Jets fans haven’t forgiven Cousins for using the team as leverage to extract more money from the Vikings in 2018. It isn’t clear how things would have gone had Cousins signed with the Jets.
If the team brought him in now, it isn’t hard to project how things would turn out. Cousins is at the end of his career and in decline. He probably would rank somewhere in the mid to low 20’s if starting quarterbacks across the league were ranked. Sadly, that would be better than your typical Jets quarterback situation over the last decade and a half. And there actually is value to having a guy under center who knows how to run an offense and how to get the ball to the first read when he’s open. Even if Cousins can’t do much more, it would actually add something the Jets haven’t had.
Tier 2: The Upside Play
4. Malik Willis
It’s tough to know what to make of Willis. He has started six games and attempted 155 passes across the entirety of his four year career. Over the last two seasons, he has started only three games with 89 passing attempts.
He has looked very good in limited action, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he could function at a high or even credible level across a full 17 game season. Even Justin Fields had two outstanding games for the Jets in 2025.
I watched Willis come off the bench in the Packers’ Week 16 loss to the Bears in place of an injured Jordan Love. I was impressed by how he looked. It also struck me that Mike LaFleur really scaled the offense back once Willis entered the game. It felt like Willis executed a limited playbook at a really high level. As a full-time starter, he would need to be able to do it all.
Could he thrive if he had the full playbook at his disposal for 17 games? Perhaps, but I really don’t know how you’d make that judgment.
If you’re signing Willis, you’re essentially betting on those 89 passing attempts serving as an indicator he is ready to run a team full-time. Given how few quality options are in free agency, there’s a price where that bet makes sense to me. It would be a one year deal worth backup plus money. (Let’s say $15 million.)
I’m expecting Willis to be paid much more, which is a huge gamble on a player who is pretty much a blank slate.
Tier 3: Probably Won’t Work But Worth a Shot…Maybe
5. Mitchell Trubisky
I’m not saying I acutually would expect Trubisky to play at a high level if the Jets signed him. He is a more intriguing upside play than you might think, though.
While things didn’t work out in Chicago, he wasn’t a colossal bust. By the end of his time with the Bears, Trubisky was a borderline passable starter with legitimate flashes. For the last five years he’s bounced around the league as a backup and bridge starter.
He’s always had the physical tools to succeed. Is it possible that after a few years out of the spotlight working with quality offensive coaches that he’s improved his grasp of passing concepts? Could he have reached a point where he’s actually ready to run his own offense?
If I had to bet, I’d say no. But the odds of him being a hidden gem are higher than zero. In such a thin market, that’s worth considering.
6. Geno Smith
A Geno return to the Jets would be quite a storyline. Smith’s first stint with the team wasn’t pretty. The team did him no favors by throwing him into a chaotic situation as a rookie with little supporting talent.
It took years of bouncing around the league as a backup, but Geno finally blossomed into a quality starter with the Seahawks.
A year ago I would have said he was a good option as a bridge quarterback. His season in Las Vegas was a disaster, though. He was arguably worse than Justin Fields. When that happens in your age 35 season, there have to be questions about whether it’s a sign of a decline that can’t be reversed. The truth is Geno has been trending down for three years.
Still, the Jets don’t have many options. For all of his faults, Geno is a year removed from at least being a competent starting quarterback. Like Murray and Tua, his contractual situation will leave him likely signing for the minimum. I can’t say I’d be terrible optimistic if the Jets brought him back, but I’d understand if they did it.
Tier 4: Bottom of the Barrel
7. Joe Flacco
After a big start to his Bengals tenure, Flacco’s late career renaissance seemed to run out of steam. I don’t think Flacco has much to offer beyond understanding how to run the basics of an offense and being a good locker room guy. He also will probably chip in a turn back the clock game every so often where he shreds a defense. That is amazingly more than we can say about most of the options the Jets have.
8. Marcus Mariota
A lot of what I just said about Flacco also applies to Mariota. I just think he’ll have fewer turn back the clock games.
Tier 5: Start the Coaching Search Now
9. Everybody Else
I don’t know that any of the quarterbacks I listed above can actually save Aaron Glenn’s job, but I think the alternatives lack redeeming qualities and almost certainly will lock in a top five pick in the NFL Draft. This group includes Carson Wentz, Jimmy Garoppolo, and any other name you want to throw out.