The Jets are still hunting for a real answer under center, and in 2026 that search is somehow still going on. Geno Smith is slated to open the year as the bridge starter while New York waits to see what the 2027 quarterback class looks like, but there’s obvious risk in that plan. Smith was horrendous for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, and if he keeps sliding in New York, Aaron Glenn may need a backup plan fast just to keep the season from getting away from him.
That’s where one of the wildest comeback ideas in the NFL picture comes in: Andrew Luck.
NFL.com recently ran through the league’s craziest possible player returns for 2026, and Jeremy Bergman landed on the former No. 1 overall pick as a fit with the Jets. The hook is simple and bizarre in equal measure - Luck, now the general manager of Stanford football, reconnecting with former Colts head coach Frank Reich in New York.
"Currently the general manager of Stanford football, Luck is just 36 years old, younger than three starting QBs in the NFL in 2026 (Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins). Luck is set up pretty nice now that he's no longer getting walloped by pass rushers, but if he ever wished to live to his generational potential, there's still time. Though his old gig is currently occupied by Danny Dimes, Luck can reunite with former Colts boss Frank Reich in New York as a Geno Smith escape hatch and potential bridge."
Jeremy Bergman
Luck has been retired since the 2019 preseason, when he shocked the league by walking away. Since then, there have been plenty of rumors and reports about the Colts and other teams trying to coax him back, but nothing has changed that reality. The odds of an actual comeback still look tiny.
Still, the idea is easy to understand. At 36, Luck would instantly be the most talented quarterback the Jets have had since Joe Willie Namath.
In his last season, he threw for 4,593 yards, 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, and helped win 10 games. For a Jets team searching for stability, that kind of production would be franchise-altering.
It remains an alternate-universe fantasy more than a real possibility. But if New York is looking for an emergency answer, Luck is the kind of name that makes people stop and imagine what might have been.
In Other News...
Former Indiana 4-Star Commit Is About To Deliver A Brutal Update
Indianas 2027 recruiting class still has plenty of blue-chip promise, but the Hoosiers have already taken hits with two four-star commits backing off their pledges. The biggest one may be Monsanna Torbert Jr., the top cornerback in the group and Indianas highest-ranked commitment in the cycle before he reopened his recruitment.
Torbert is set to make his next decision live on July 1, and Indiana remains technically on the list even after the decommitment. A return to Bloomington looks unlikely, though, which leaves the Hoosiers watching from the outside as one of their most important early recruiting wins edges toward a new home. [Read more 🡒]
IU Names Tom Froehle To Key Leadership Role Starting Aug. 17
Indiana University is turning to a familiar name in Indiana legal circles for one of its most important administrative jobs. Tom Froehle has been named the schools new vice president and general counsel, a move that will take effect Aug. 17 and put him in charge of advising the university on the legal issues that come with running a major public institution.
Froehle arrives with more than 30 years of experience counseling corporations, universities and government entities, and his background includes work with Honda, the NCAA and United Airlines. IU president Pamela Whitten said the university is getting a leader with the experience and judgment needed for a complex public university, while Froehle called the role an honor as he prepares to succeed Anthony Prather in the post. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Made A Massive Move In Key Big Man Battle
Indianas 2027 recruiting class is still in its infancy, with Chase Branham as the lone commitment so far, but Darian DeVries has already put the Hoosiers in position for a much bigger swing. The latest target is five-star big man Darius Wabbington, who has trimmed his list to six finalists and given Indiana a seat at the table in one of the more important frontcourt battles in the class.
The official visits are already beginning to stack up, with Louisville, Arizona and Texas set on the calendar, while Indiana is still waiting to lock in its date. That leaves the Hoosiers with some ground to make up, but also a real opening to sell Wabbington on what his role could look like in Bloomington as DeVries keeps building out the roster for the years ahead. [Read more 🡒]