The Jets already made one quarterback splash with Geno Smith, and that move has taken the edge off any need to chase another name from Las Vegas.
Aidan O’Connell is the Raiders quarterback who could theoretically enter the conversation, but the fit for New York just isn’t there. He’s fallen from spot starter to a player buried on the depth chart, and he’s in the final year of his rookie deal.
That alone makes him look like a trade candidate. It also makes him the kind of player a contender might be able to land for a Day 3 pick.
That doesn’t mean the Jets should be the team making the call.
O’Connell has some appeal on paper. He’d likely be a stronger backup than Bailey Zappe, and he brings more experience than Cade Klubnik or Brady Cook.
But he’ll turn 28 in September, and the bigger question is whether he’s actually someone worth building around in any meaningful way. Right now, there’s no real answer to that.
And that’s the point. New York is still in a rebuild, and spending draft capital on a backup quarterback doesn’t move the needle.
The Jets already chose Geno Smith when they had the chance, and that made sense then. There’s no reason to second-guess it now.
The broader quarterback market also matters here. With the transfer portal and the current college landscape, more quarterbacks are reaching free agency after age-27 or age-28 seasons. O’Connell fits that mold, which only adds to the sense that he’s more of a movable piece than a must-have target.
None of this means he has no value. It just means his value is different depending on the team. He makes a lot more sense for clubs that need reliable depth, not for a team like the Jets or Cardinals trying to sort out bigger questions.
Quarterback injuries and depth issues have wrecked plenty of seasons, and not just when a star goes down. Cowboys fans know that story well from the Tony Romo and Dak Prescott situations over the last two decades. And while I’d rather have O’Connell backing up Prescott than Joe Milton III, Dallas at least has Sam Howell in the mix too.
There’s also a clear backup-quarterback model that O’Connell could follow. Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett have shown that Day 3 picks can hang around for a long time, and O’Connell got a front-row look at Minshew with the Raiders in 2024. Josh Johnson is still doing it at 40, which says plenty about how long this lane can stay open.
For the Jets, though, the answer is simple: keep the picks and keep moving. If they need a backup to step in, they can revisit the position later. Right now, there’s no reason to spend assets on Aidan O’Connell.
In Other News...
Jets Suddenly Linked To Another Young Quarterback Behind Geno Smith
The Jets quarterback picture already has a clear headline for 2026, with Geno Smith in line to start and a backup battle forming behind him. Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe are all in the mix, but the room could still be worth watching if New York decides it wants another young arm in the pipeline rather than simply riding with the current group.
That is where Bleacher Reports Kristopher Knox has nudged J.J. McCarthy into the conversation. The Vikings quarterback has appeared in 10 games and has yet to lock down the job in Minnesota, which leaves his long-term path open to interpretation if he does not seize the starting role there. For the Jets, it is the kind of speculative quarterback wrinkle that can linger around a roster even when the present plan already seems set. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Just Sent A Brutal Message About Ex Jets QB Justin Fields
The Chiefs quarterback situation has taken another turn, and it is one the Jets will notice because Justin Fields is still part of the conversation. Kansas City brought in the former Jets passer as a possible answer behind Patrick Mahomes, but the latest update around camp keeps the focus squarely on the star already in place and on how the Chiefs plan to handle the position as the season approaches.
Fields remains the intriguing name because of what he offers and what has held him back, with questions about tempo, accuracy and avoiding sacks following him from stop to stop. For now, though, the bigger issue in Kansas City is not whether Fields can fit, but whether the path he was supposed to open has already been narrowed before he gets a real chance to prove otherwise. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Linked To Another Quarterback Twist Fans Didn't See Coming
Dillon Gabriels spot in Cleveland has become one of those quarterback situations teams around the league keep watching, and the Jets are now being mentioned as a possible suitor. Gabriel is currently projected as the Browns third-string quarterback behind Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, which makes his long-term path in Cleveland murky enough to invite questions about whether another club could try to get involved.
The appeal is easy to see on paper, even if the fit in New York is far from straightforward. Gabriel played in 10 games with six starts last season and completed 59.5 percent of his passes with a 7-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio, but his overall efficiency lagged behind league average. The Jets also just used a draft pick on Cade Klubnik to develop at the position, and with multiple future first-round picks in hand, they are not exactly short on options if they decide to keep building the room their own way. [Read more 🡒]