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...
49ers Suddenly Linked To A Brandon Aiyuk Trade With QB Stakes
Brandon Aiyuks situation has only grown murkier for the 49ers, with the receiver not having played since October 2024 and his status around the roster increasingly difficult to ignore. Once viewed as part of the long-term offensive core, he now sits at the center of a conversation that has less to do with production and more to do with whether San Francisco can still count on the relationship at all.
Into that uncertainty comes the kind of speculative trade chatter that tends to follow a disgruntled star, and it comes with quarterback implications attached. Any move built around Aiyuk would force the 49ers to think beyond the receiver room and into their broader quarterback plan, especially with Mac Jones future in San Francisco already pointing toward a short stay and a possible eventual hunt for a starting job elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Safety Battle Already Has One Newcomer On Shaky Ground
The 49ers added Patrick McMorris in late April, giving the safety room another name to sort through as camp approaches, but his path looks narrow from the start. McMorris spent part of 2024 in Miami, where he appeared in six games before moving on to the practice squad circuit, and he arrives in San Francisco with the kind of profile that usually needs a strong summer to stand out.
Instead, the early read is that he has work to do just to stay in the conversation. Questions about his tackling, range and burst have made him a longshot for a regular-season spot, which leaves him fighting for a place in a crowded room that already has more established and higher-upside options. For now, the more realistic outcome appears to be another practice squad stint, unless he can change that evaluation before the 49ers have to trim the roster. [Read more 🡒]
One Under-the-Radar 49ers Addition Could Finally Settle Left Guard
The 49ers spent much of the offseason looking for reliable answers along an offensive line that has been in flux, and the left guard spot is still one of the cleaner training camp battles to watch. Chris Foerster has kept that competition open, with Robert Jones and Bret Toth among the names in the mix, while Toths value may stretch beyond one position since he is also expected to handle backup center duties no matter where he lines up.
For a team trying to make Brock Purdys life easier and keep the offense balanced around its established playmakers, that kind of stability matters as much as flashier additions on either side of the ball. Jones, in particular, has drawn attention as a low-profile pickup with the kind of experience and efficiency that can quietly settle a spot the 49ers have not fully locked down yet, even if the final call is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]