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...
Patriots Fans Can Finally Exhale About One Draft Decision
The Patriots entered the 2026 draft cycle with a little more flexibility at wide receiver than theyve had in recent years, thanks to the trade for A.J. Brown and a group that also includes Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins. Even so, they were still being linked to several of the top receiver prospects, including KC Concepcion, whose playmaking ability and potential value as a return option made him an interesting name for New Englands board.
Concepcions fit was never just about adding another target, though, and that is part of why Patriots fans could breathe a bit easier once the draft unfolded. New England already has Marcus Jones handling punt returns, so the urgency to chase a receiver for that specific dual-purpose role was never as pronounced as it might have seemed on paper. And with the team addressing other needs elsewhere, the pressure around that particular draft decision faded quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Keep Getting Linked To One Veteran Pass Rush Fix
The Patriots keep surfacing in the same pass-rush conversation as the preseason moves closer, and it is not hard to see why. New Englands defensive front still needs help, and the connection between Mike Vrabel and familiar edge options has kept the speculation alive even without any official movement from the team.
What makes the chatter linger is that the need is not abstract. New England is trying to stabilize a group that has dealt with offseason turnover and injury uncertainty, and adding a veteran like Jadeveon Clowney would immediately change the shape of that discussion. For now, though, it remains exactly that, a discussion, with no sign yet that the Patriots are ready to turn the rumor into something real. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Have One More Tackle Move To Make
The Patriots have kept busy reworking the tackle group, and the position still feels like one of the more fluid parts of the roster. Caleb Lomu, Dametrious Crownover, James Hudson III, Will Campbell and Morgan Moses are all in the mix in some form, but the future roles for several of them are still not settled, which leaves room for another move if New England wants more clarity up front.
One option hanging out there is the kind of trade that makes sense for both sides, especially if the Patriots want to add another big, developmental piece without paying full price. The Browns have a tackle with uncommon size, but his availability has been shaped by injuries and a limited NFL track record, and a deal built around Marcus Bryant and a late-round pick has been floated as the sort of return that could get Cleveland to listen. [Read more 🡒]