The New York Jets went into the 2026 offseason wanting two veteran quarterbacks, but only one showed up.
Geno Smith is back as the starter, and right now the backup picture is thin. Fourth-round rookie Cade Klubik is in line to sit behind Smith, with Bailey Zappe also in the mix. The Jets did kick the tires on veteran options, including Russell Wilson, but Wilson chose retirement - at least for now.
If New York still wants a more experienced arm before training camp opens, Jets Wire pointed to three trade candidates who could make sense.
Andy Dalton stands out as the most plausible name. The Philadelphia Eagles have a crowded quarterback room with Jalen Hurts, Dalton, Tanner McKee, and rookie Cole Payton, and one of those veterans could be the odd man out this summer. Dalton, who is 38, looks like the clearest fit if the Jets want a steady backup.
Will Levis is another possibility. Tennessee has already made multiple trades with the Titans lately, landing Jarvis Brownlee and T'Vondre Sweat, and Levis feels like a quarterback the team has moved past. The Titans drafted Cam Ward and signed Mitch Trubisky, which makes Levis a logical name to shop.
Then there’s Joe Flacco. The Cincinnati Bengals have Joe Burrow healthy and also have 40-year-old Josh Johnson on the roster, so Flacco could be available if they decide to deal from that group. Flacco already spent three seasons with the Jets from 2020 to 2022, and he would be an upgrade behind Smith.
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Jets Risk Another Lost Offensive Season For A Familiar Reason
The Jets offense is heading into 2026 with a familiar problem hanging over it again: the quarterbacks may be the biggest variable, and not in a good way. Geno Smith and Cade Klubnik are part of an evaluation year that is supposed to help the team figure out what it has around them, but if the passing game sputters, it becomes hard to tell whether the issue is the talent at quarterback or the skill players and line trying to support it.
New York has a lot riding on getting a clearer read on that group, especially with young pieces like Adonai Mitchell, Mason Taylor, Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq needing meaningful looks. The uneasy part is that the Jets may not have much margin for error behind Smith and Klubnik, so a rough season could easily turn into another reset year, even if it also puts them in position to land a premium draft pick and keep future quarterback options open. [Read more 🡒]
Arian Smith Just Got A Real Opening With The Jets
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His case is not just about being around the ball, either. Smith has shown value on special teams, and he also brings a more intriguing offensive ceiling than the other names fighting for that last spot, which is why this has started to feel like a genuine matchup with Jamaal Pritchett rather than simple camp depth. If the Jets are only carrying six receivers, Smith has a real opening, and what he does with it now could determine whether he sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Glenns First Real Jets Test Hinges On Four Big Gambles
Aaron Glenns first season steering the Jets defense comes with a built-in stress test, and it starts with how quickly a handful of new faces can raise the floor. Minkah Fitzpatrick, David Bailey, Nahshon Wright and Demario Davis give the unit a mix of pedigree, youth, bargain upside and veteran steadiness, but none of it matters much unless the whole group actually fits into Glenns plan and delivers on the promise that brought them in.
Bailey arrives with the pressure that comes with being a top pick, while Fitzpatrick is the kind of high-end defender who changes the conversation if he looks like himself again. Wright has to prove his ball skills can carry over, and Davis is being asked to keep defying the usual timeline at his position. For a defense trying to become the backbone of the team, the upside is obvious. The catch is that each of these additions carries its own question, and the answers might determine how quickly Glenns version of the Jets takes shape. [Read more 🡒]