4 New York Jets QB Options for Next Season, Outside of the 2026 NFL Draft

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4 New York Jets QB Options for Next Season, Outside of the 2026 NFL Draft

4 New York Jets QB Options for Next Season, Outside of the 2026 NFL Draft — Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Matt Johnson · Sportsnaut

Sat, Nov 8, 2025 ·

4 min read

Kyler Murray , Arizona Cardinals

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As of now, Kyler Murray feels like the likeliest option to be the Jets starting quarterback in 2026. The Arizona Cardinals are clearly ready to move on from him, with the regime that drafted and extended him now long gone. He needs a change of scenery to see if his career could be revitalized, much like Geno Smith , Sam Darnold , and Daniel Jones . Murray is an undisputed quarterback upgrade over Justin Fields, and there are two seasons of film that suggest he can play near a Pro Bowl level. That's the perfect ceiling to roll the dice. If Murray struggles with New York, the team still has three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Tua Tagovailoa , Miami Dolphins

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On the surface, this idea will certainly seem absurd. Tua Tagovailoa has fallen from leading the NFL in passing yards in 2023 and passer rating the season prior to dealing with rumors about his job security. There's also the division factor, with NFL teams typically not wanting to move a starter within the division. However, New York could also offer the Miami Dolphins a way to get out of the Tua Tagovailoa contract.

Miami clearly wants a fresh start as an organization. It already fired general manager Chris Grier, and the next head of football operations will likely want his own head coach. Understandably, a coach will want his own quarterback. However, cutting Tagovailoa next offseason—even as a post-June 1 release—leaves a $67.4 million dead cap in 2026 and a $31.8 million dead cap in 2027. Alternatively, a post-June 1 trade designation would leave just a $13.4 million dead cap in 2026 with a $31.8 million hit in 2027. Plus, Miami would create $43 million in cap savings for 2026 after June 1.

In exchange for making that happen, the Jets could receive a draft pick from Miami. It might not be quite the same return as the Brock Osweiler trade (second-round pick), but there would be quality compensation. Then, New York can give Tagovailoa a one-year run as the starter. If it doesn't work, he can be cut in 2027.

Spencer Rattler , New Orleans Saints

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The New Orleans Saints pulled the plug on Spencer Rattler early this season, turning over the keys to second-round pick Tyler Shough so they could evaluate the rookie. However, Rattler wasn't bad as the Saints starting quarterback. Prior to his three-interception game against Chicago , the second-year quarterback had a 6-1 TD-INT line, completing 68.5 percent of his passes with a 91.9 QB rating . From Weeks 1-6, Rattler ranked 17th among quarterbacks in EPA per Play (0.081), which put him ahead of Trevor Lawrence and Bo Nix . He's shown real development in the last two seasons and he's also received praise for his maturity. He would be a cheap option with upside for New York and he wouldn't get in the way of the team using a top pick on a rookie quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Joe Flacco , Free Agent

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The Indianapolis Colts won't let Daniel Jones hit NFL free agency, and even if the Las Vegas Raiders are willing to move Geno Smith next offseason, a Jets reunion is off the table. So, New York will have very limited options on the open market. Joe Flacco is the best of what will be out there. Given that he's posted an 11-2 TD-INT line with a 102.6 QB rating in Cincinnati , it's also hard to imagine that the 40-year-old quarterback believes it will be time to retire. Flacco isn't an appealing choice, but he'll be available and he's a capable bridge quarterback.

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