The New York Jets are facing renewed scrutiny at the most important position on the field as the 2026 NFL season approaches. Expectations surrounding the team have been tempered by a recent evaluation that questions the strength of its quarterback group.
The team has been ranked among the weakest quarterback rooms in the league, a designation that reflects uncertainty rather than a lack of potential. The current group features a mix of experience and youth, which includesGeno Smith, Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook, and Bailey Zappe, but questions remain about stability and long-term direction.
Las Vegas Raiders, Geno Smith, ESPN, New York Jets
Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) stands on the field after the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The situation is shaped by the presence of multiple options without a clearly established answer at the position. While there are players capable of contributing, consistency has yet to become a defining trait within the group.
The addition of a rookie quarterback adds another layer of intrigue, as development will play a key role in shaping the depth chart. Adjusting to the speed and complexity of the NFL often takes time, leaving the team to balance immediate needs with future planning.
NFL Analysis Gives New York Jets’ QB Room a Low Rank
Las Vegas Raiders, Geno Smith, ESPN
Sep 7, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
New York’s quarterback room has received a low rank ahead of the 2026 NFL season. This is detailed more in an analysis by Garrett Podell for CBS Sports.
Geno Smith is back with the Jets! After being selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by New York and then playing for four other teams, Smith is back home. He earned two Pro Bowl selections (2022 and 2023) with the Seattle Seahawks, as well as NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2022. However, that shine is long gone for Smith. In just one season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Smith became just the sixth quarterback since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to lead the league in both interceptions and sacks taken in the same season. His poor play helped the Raiders secure the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which they turned into Indiana Hoosiers national championship quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.
The Jets also have 2026 fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik and two veterans — Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe. Klubnik was a three-year starter at Clemson, but he picked a horrendous moment to regress in 2025, his final year of college football. After producing career highs in passing yards (3,639), passing touchdowns (36), interceptions (six), rushing yards (463) and rushing touchdowns (7) in 2024, Klubnik face planted in 2025. He threw 20 fewer touchdowns (16) and finished with 2,943 passing yards and six interceptions while adding 94 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The Jets have three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft: their own, the Indianapolis Colts’ and the lowest first-round pick between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. If New York can stink for just one more year, they may have the ability to draft Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, or another hotshot quarterback who has a meteoric rise like Mendoza’s in 2027.
At the same time, veteran experience provides a measure of stability, even if it has not fully translated into sustained success. The challenge for the Jets lies in finding the right combination that can deliver both reliability and growth.
The outlook for the quarterback room remains uncertain heading into the season. How the group performs will likely determine whether the Jets can move beyond early criticism and establish a clearer identity on offense.