Time for Jets Fans to Have Difficult QB Conversation

For the New York Jets and their fans, the 2026 season was really supposed to be about three things.

1: Developing their young talent to work with their QB of the future.

2: Determining whether or not Aaron Glenn was the right head coach to develop their QB of the future.

3: Be in position to draft…their QB of the future.

But now three major developments could make that third, and most important goal, far more difficult than the team had envisioned just a few months ago.

First and foremost, potential changes to what was supposed to be an absolutely loaded draft class at quarterback has some serious question marks.  Secondly, there may be a team or two who could be  in worse shape than the Jets who are in need of a quarterback, and a much weaker schedule than anticipated that could see the Jets picking too low to land the QB of their choice.

Prior to the start of the season, it was assumed that Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore would be in a dog fight to be the first quarterback selected.  Instead, Manning is being pushed by his head coach due to poor performance while Moore has missed much of the season due to a concussion.  And if we’re being honest, he wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire prior to the concussion.

Now instead of Manning or Moore, Oregon State’s Drew Mestemaker is generating buzz as the likely top pick in the draft, while Trinidad Chambliss of Ole’ Miss is producing like a top pick, his height (likely around 6′) and age (24) remain concerns for some.

Outside of that group there’s Miami’s Darien Mensah, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and another new name thrown in the hat this season, Austin Simmons of Missouri.

Of those seven top names, only Chambliss and Moore must come out after this season.  The other five have eligibility left and most have good reason to return to school.  Should this become a situation where only two or three QB’s worthy of a top ten pick are available, the Jets could be on the outside looking in.

The Dolphins and Cardinals are both in dire need of a quarterback and both should end up picking ahead of the Jets.  Having just found out QB Jalen Hurts will miss the remainder of this season, the Eagles could also land in the top ten with a HUGE question mark in Hurts, while the Titans are another QB needy team that’s likely to be in the top five.

So you do the math.  Two or three franchise quarterbacks and the likelihood of having four teams ahead of you in need of QB does not bode well for Darren Mougey and company.  And before you say the Jets can “just trade up” because they have three first round picks, who’s to say a QB needy team will be willing to move down?  And if you can’t land a guy who you believe is a legitimate franchise quarterback, is it worth parting with multiple first-round picks?

Of course the Jets do own the Colts’ first round pick, is it realistic to expect them to finish with a worse record than the Dolphins, Chargers and Titans?  Not impossible, but also unikley.

There’s still lots of football left to be played in college and the pros, but with the way things are trending with the Jets, that “lock” to get a franchise QB in the 2027 draft doesn’t feel quite as automatic as it did just a few weeks ago.

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