As I said here and here, I believe the quickest path to contention is to bring in a veteran dual-threat Quarterback to slot ahead of dual-threat veteran Tyrod Taylor, dual-threat former FSU star Jordan Travis and dual-threat former UFL star Adrian Martinez. Why am I being so steadfast in my belief?
Rookies Too Risky
If there was a guarantee that Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers… would become this year’s CJ Stroud or Jayden Daniels, then go for it. However, having seen what the struggles of Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson did to Todd Bowles and Robert Saleh’s chances of success, it makes more sense to “punt” going after a franchise QB for one year, and let Aaron Glenn concentrate on putting his stamp on the team in season 1.
Offensive Line is Run Ready
Don’t look now, but after struggling to build an offensive line is his first 5 years with the New York Jets, Joe Douglas left the Jets in pretty good shape. Here’s the PFF (Pro Football Focus) ranks for the interior line:
- Joe Tippmann, C (Overall rank 8 out of 64)
- Alijah Vera-Tucker RG (Overall rank 15 out of 135)
- John Simpson LG (Overall rank 16 out of 135).
Plus, all three have better ranks against the run compared to the pass. The Jets are also set at LT with last year’s first round pick Olu Fashanu expected to be the full-time starter from day one.
Mirror the Eagles
Despite Jalen Hurts all-world performance in the Super Bowl, the Eagles are still built on defense and their run game, with Hurts playing a major role in the run game. Now, it might be difficult to execute the “tush-push”, but the Eagles have put a blue-print in place the Jets can attempt to match. They already have the talented Breece Hall at running back, with two emerging backups in Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. The Jets also have a true #1 receiver to keep defenses honest in Garrett Wilson.
Here are the top 12 free agent and trade targets that match the “dual threat” criteria.
Top Free Agent Targets
Justin Fields (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Daniel Jones (Minnesota Vikings)
Sam Darnold (Minnesota Vikings)
Marcus Mariota (Washington Commanders)
Teddy Bridgewater (Detroit Lions)
Zach Wilson (Denver Broncos)
Jacoby Brissett (New England Patriots)
Trey Lance (Dallas Cowboys)
Top Trade Targets
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
Hendon Hooker (Detroit Lions)
Malik Willis (Green Bay Packers)
Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
Elimination Round
I included Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson and Geno Smith for illustration purposes though I’d expect no one (fans, media, executives and especially the players themselves) would want a reunion. Also, while Kyler Murray has been rumored to have been on the market for years, the rumors have died down coming off a nice bounce-back season for the Cardinals. Plus, his cap hit, combined with the Aaron Rodgers cap hit, makes it a pipe dream.
Marcus Mariota and Teddy Bridgewater are comparable to Taylor, so they would likely have to compete with him in camp. Both, however, are also injury prone like Taylor, so not ideal. Brissett is a vet, and Lance is still a project. When healthy, Taylor is better than both.
That leaves 2 realistic free agent options in Justin Fields or Daniel Jones, and two potential trade targets in Hendon Hooker and Malik Willis.
SRNYs Recommendation
- Justin Fields
- Hendon Hooker
- Daniel Jones
- Malik Willis
As I said here and here, Justin Fields is our first choice because he’s already proven to be an elite rusher from the QB position. He’s still a work in progress as a passer, but he’s shown improvement across his 4 seasons. He’d have an elite backfield mate in Hall, a mentor in Taylor, and an old college buddy in Wilson. And… he should have a Top 10 defense to give him a chance to win immediately and earn a long-term extension.
Hooker is second on the list because if the Jets pursue him, that means Glenn was impressed with what he saw of him at the Lions facility the first two years of Hooker’s career. The Lions won’t move him unless they are covered at backup QB and there’s no guarantee that Bridgewater is going to return after flirting with full-time retirement a season ago.
Therefore, the more realistic option after Fields is Jones, who I don’t think would be quite as inflammatory as bringing back Darnold, Wilson or Smith to MetLife. The Jets offensive personnel is ahead of what Jones left behind with the New York Giants and he did have success a couple of seasons back with competent offensive line play.
Finally, there’s Willis who flamed out quickly in Tennessee but looked a lot more comfortable in Green Bay. Oh, shoot. Did I just say Green Bay? Do the Jets really want another Packer QB so soon?
The more I think about it, like I said here and here, Justin Fields is the best choice.
2 thoughts on “New York Jets Top QB Options for the 2025 NFL Season”
I would love to see Jets with a vet like Fields & Giants with Stafford to give a young rookie QB like Kyle McCord time to grow into the job.
If Stafford has options, not sure he would choose the Giants considering that they are currently not just a QB away from contending.
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