The New York Jets are being pushed toward a familiar kind of insurance policy as the new NFL season approaches: a veteran quarterback with a championship résumé.
For a franchise that last reached the playoffs in the 2010 season, the hope around the building is still pretty measured. There’s a young roster in place, Aaron Glenn is now the head coach, and the Jets have some pieces that could help them move in the right direction. But no one is pretending this is going to turn overnight.
Quarterback remains the clearest question. The Jets have cycled through passers for years, and this season the picture still isn’t settled.
Geno Smith is likely to open as the starter, with rookie Cade Klubnik next in line. That setup leaves New York in a spot where one more experienced arm could make sense.
That’s where Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report comes in. He pointed to Jimmy Garoppolo, a two-time Super Bowl champion who is still sitting in free agency.
Garoppolo has not played since 2024, when he was with the Los Angeles Rams. Last season, he appeared in three games for Los Angeles but did not throw a pass.
His career has always carried a split reputation. He helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, and he won two titles with the New England Patriots as Tom Brady’s backup. At the same time, his run as a starter has been uneven enough to keep the conversation around him from ever fully settling.
Even so, Garoppolo still looks like the kind of veteran who could fit behind Smith in New York. He would give the Jets a steadier backup option, a little more experience in the room, and another voice for a young quarterback like Klubnik.
There’s also the fact that Garoppolo has thought about retirement over the past year. But this offseason, he has said he wants to keep playing.
For the Jets, that makes him a reasonable fallback. If Smith struggles or gets hurt, Garoppolo would be there as a proven option.
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For the Jets, the timing matters as much as the price. Meredith is being brought in to provide depth on the inside for the 2026 season, and his arrival fits a roster-building approach that has leaned on targeted additions rather than splashy overhauls. The question now is how the Jets plan to sort out the rest of the interior rotation once training camp and the competition for snaps really start to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
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Tucker, of course, is the name that jumps off the page, even after a rough recent stretch and the fact that other teams passed on him after tryouts. He was also recently suspended for 10 games in the 2025 season following an NFL investigation into allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior dating back to 2012 through 2016, which only adds to the unease around any possible move in his direction. For a team still weighing its kicking options, the Jets are clearly leaving no stone unturned, even if some of those stones are a lot heavier than others. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Franchise QB Search Just Took A Familiar Draft Turn
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One projection has New York using a pick it acquired from the Colts to target Carr in the 2027 NFL Draft, a familiar kind of quarterback swing for a team that has spent years trying to get this part of the roster right. Carr arrives with real college production behind him after a strong 2025 season at Notre Dame, and if the Jets do go that direction, it would signal a willingness to keep building beyond the short-term fix and bet on a younger option with starter upside. [Read more 🡒]