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...
Colts May Finally Be Forced Into The Risk Fans Wanted
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Brandon Aiyuk is the kind of swing that could fit that mandate, especially with the 49ers expected to move on from him one way or another. The Colts have reason to pay attention because the path to landing him could be more manageable than a typical splash addition, and with the receiver room already short on proven answers, this is the sort of opening Ballard has often talked around but not always been forced to chase. [Read more 🡒]
These 5 Colts Could Decide How This Season Ends
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On the other side of the ball, Sauce Gardner gives the Colts a high-end answer in the secondary after the mid-season trade that brought him in, and rookie linebacker CJ Allen adds another important piece to a unit still being rebuilt. If those five players settle into their roles the way the Colts hope, the teams ceiling looks a lot different than it did a year ago, but there is still plenty riding on how quickly that mix comes together. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Taylor-Britt Enters Colts Camp With Very Little Margin For Error
Cam Taylor-Britt arrives at Colts camp in a familiar kind of spot for a veteran corner: useful enough to matter, but not so entrenched that anything is guaranteed. Indianapolis already has established options at the top of the depth chart, which means the real work for Taylor-Britt is finding a way to stand out in a crowded fight for the jobs behind them as training camp and final cuts draw closer.
His path gets a little more interesting because of Lou Anarumo, the Colts defensive coordinator, who coached Taylor-Britt in Cincinnati for three seasons. That connection gives him a built-in layer of familiarity, but it does not change the basic reality of camp - he still has to win over a roster spot against other contenders and prove he belongs in the mix when the decisions get tight. [Read more 🡒]