3 best quarterback options for the New York Jets following Aaron Rodgers split

After two disastrous seasons for Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets, head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey are moving on from the future Hall of Fame quarterback, according to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. The four-time MVP, he says, flew to New Jersey last week to meet with the team, where the new coaching regime broke the news to the QB.

All signs point to Rodgers wanting to play football, but it's apparent the Jets don’t want him playing for them.

The Rodgers era was rather disappointing. Even after tearing his Achilles in his first game with the Jets, many around the league expected them to be a playoff team in the second go-around. However, missed field goals early in the season, costly turnovers and a struggling defense held them back. In 17 games this season, Rodgers threw for 28 touchdowns and 3,897 yards. A team might be willing to take a flier on the 41-year-old, especially if star wideout Davante Adams could come as a package deal.

For the Jets, they’ll be in search of a new starting quarterback. Jordan Travis and Tyrod Taylor are internal options. Taylor is a seasoned veteran with a lengthy injury history, and Travis had a devastating injury at Florida State that left him out of action his entire rookie season. Sitting at seventh overall in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Jets won’t land Shadeur Sanders or Cam Ward. There are still relatively good quarterbacks after those two, and they could use Taylor as a bridge with a rookie. Mougey and Glenn could also look at free-agent options. This offseason, many credible quarterbacks will be looking for a home. Let’s dive into the best options for the Jets.

3. Draft Jalen Milroe and start Tyrod Taylor

New York has the longest playoff drought in sports right now. As mentioned earlier, Sanders or Ward likely won’t slip to seventh overall. That said, taking a quarterback in the first round is still on the table for the Jets. Jalen Milroe out of Alabama is an intriguing option. His combination of arm strength and athleticism is a plus. In today’s NFL, having a mobile quarterback is becoming a must. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes proved that in this postseason. Drafting Milroe could give the Jets a potential franchise quarterback. Starting him on day one could be risky, but they could use Taylor to bridge the gap.

With the weapons the Jets have on offense already, Milroe could shine. Breece Hall is one of the best young running backs in the game, and Garrett Wilson has recorded three consecutive 1,000-plus receiving yards seasons. New York also has three young offensive linemen. Joe Tippman, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Olu Fashanu are developing into formidable pieces.

Milroe could become another threat on the offensive side of the ball if the Jets were to draft him. In his final season with Alabama, he recorded 20 rushing touchdowns. On top of that, he’s thrown for 39 touchdowns across his last two seasons. If the Jets want to roll with a young quarterback, and Milroe is available at seven, it will be hard to pass up on the 22-year-old.

2. Free Agent QB Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones had minimal success with the New York Giants. He took them to the playoffs in 2022 and balled out in the first round, helping his team capture their first playoff win since 2011. In 2023 and 2024, Jones only managed to win three regular season games for the GMEN. They cut ties with him mid-season, and he joined Darnold in Minnesota.

Jones wasn’t gifted a legit receiving threat until this past season when they drafted Malik Nabers. His time in New York wasn’t memorable, but all the blame doesn’t fall on him. The lack of offensive line depth and weapons caused his downfall. If he were to sign with the Jets, he’d be playing with proven weapons.

Jones wouldn’t come with a high price tag. New York won’t have a ton of cap space this offseason. The 27-year-old would make sense for the Jets. He would be motivated to prove his worth as a starting quarterback in the NFL, and the team is still looking to win in Glenn’s first season as Head Coach.

1. Free Agent QB Justin Fields

The Jets won’t have a surplus of cap space, even after they officially part ways with Rodgers and Adams. Some fans are hoping for a Sam Darnold reunion, but he’s likely to command at least $40 million a year after a terrific season with the Minnesota Vikings. One quarterback who won’t be too pricey and has a high upside is Justin Fields. The 25-year-old started six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers this past season. He went 4-2 and recorded ten total touchdowns with just one interception.

Fields is familiar with the star receiver Wilson, as they played multiple seasons at Ohio State together. The young receiver would love to play with his former college quarterback.

At Fields’ age, he could still become a franchise signal-caller. Taking a chance on Fields could be the Jets’ best option. He won’t cause a huge cap hit, and if he plays well for them in 2025, the Jets could give him a long-term deal. Since they’re moving on from Rodgers and Adams this offseason, they’ll have a surplus of cap space in the 2026 offseason.

Not only will Fields come for cheap, but his upside is still there. Many around the league questioned Mike Tomlin’s decision to bench the former first-round pick for Russel Wilson. He’s also had great seasons before his short stint in Pittsburgh, like in 2022 when he rushed for more than 1,100 yards and tallied up 25 total touchdowns.

Even though New York is coming off a disappointing season, they could still fight for a playoff spot next season. They have a talented defense with players such as Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald and Sauce Gardner. As mentioned earlier, their offense still has intriguing weapons. Signing Fields would be a gamble, but it could pay off in the short and long term.