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Ex-Jets QB Signs With Falcons in Free Agency Joining Tua Tagovailoa

Trevor Siemian, Jets

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Former New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Washington Commanders.

A former New York Jets quarterback has received a new opportunity.

ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler revealed on social media that veteran QB Trevor Siemian is signing a deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

Siemian will join Michael Penix and former Miami Dolphins passer Tua Tagovailoa in the quarterback room.

Jeremy Fowler

Free agent quarterback Trevor Siemian is signing with the Falcons, agent @blakebaratz of @TeamIFA tells ESPN.

Veteran QB adds to Atlanta’s depth.

A Multi-Stint Jets Career

Siemian, 34, will turn 35 during the 2026 season.

The former Northwestern product has had two stints with the Jets during his career. He was with the team during the 2019 season, and he came back for a second go-around in 2023.

In his Jets career, he appeared in six games and made four starts. With those opportunities, Siemian completed 56% of his passes, threw for 727 passing yards, and had two passing touchdowns to four interceptions.

During his first stint with the Jets, Siemian signed on to be the backup quarterback behind Sam Darnold.

After the Week 1 contest against the Buffalo Bills in 2019, Darnold fell ill and was eventually diagnosed with mononucleosis. That was truly one of the most bizarre Jets headlines of the 21st century.

Due to that unforeseen situation, Siemian, as the backup quarterback, was thrust into the spotlight. The first start he made was in Week 2 at home against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football.

Siemian’s moment in the spotlight didn’t last long. During the first half of that Browns game, Siemian landed awkwardly after getting smacked by Myles Garrett. Siemian suffered a gruesome ankle injury that tore multiple ligaments and eventually required surgery, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.

That led the Jets to start Luke Falk at quarterback. The green and white finished with a 7-9 record after finishing strong with a 6-2 end in the final eight weeks of that season.

Jets Have a Terrible Recent Track Record With QB Injuries

Over the last 11 seasons, the Jets have been forced to use multiple quarterbacks in a single year nine times.

There are only two exceptions.

In 2015, Ryan Fitzpatrick started every game of that season. In 2024, Aaron Rodgers started every game of that year. Every other season, the Jets have been forced to use at least two quarterbacks and, on several occasions, up to four quarterbacks.

History is bound to repeat itself. If the recent track record is any indication, the Jets are likely to use multiple quarterbacks during the 2026 season.

That puts an important spotlight on the QB2 role for the green and white. The Jets have three quarterbacks currently on their roster:

Smith is set to be the starter. However, the search for a viable QB2 continues.

Something to monitor: beat reporter Nick Faria of Jets X-Factor told me on “Boy Green Daily” to not rule out Zappe potentially being an option at QB2.

Zappe, 26, will turn 27 before the start of the 2026 season. Across his four seasons in the pros, Zappe has appeared in 15 games and has made nine starts.

He isn’t the sexiest option in the world, but he has proven capable of stepping into the lineup and holding down the fort previously.

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