Ranking the Top NFL Free-Agent and Draft QB Options for the New York Jets in 2025

There aren't many NFL teams with a more tortured history at quarterback than the New York Jets. Sure, the Cleveland Browns have been a dumpster fire since their return in 1999, but even they had Bernie Kosar back in the day.

It has been a long time since the Jets had a star at quarterback. They have tried everything from using high draft picks to swinging big trades. The last big move (the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers) actually produced fewer wins in 2024 than the menagerie of signal-callers the Jets used with the veteran out with a torn Achilles in 2023.

Where quarterback is concerned, Gang Green is truly gangrenous. And after informing Rodgers Sunday that the team is moving on at the position, we know that it's back to drawing board...again.

Turning the tide at the game's most important position is the biggest key to the Jets becoming more than tabloid fodder and for folks to want to chant four letters that are actually "J-E-T-S!"

How can new general manager Darren Mougey do that, though? Better yet, how should he do it? What's a realistic path to making quarterback a position of strength for New York?

Here are eight candidates to be the Jets' starting quarterback in 2025—rookies and veterans alike—ranked by both the odds New York can acquire them (Patrick Mahomes would be nice, but he's not showing up) and the wisdom of doing so.

We might as well start this off by making Jets fans miserable.

Who are we kidding? Misery is the default emotional state for Jets fans.

This is the definition of a stopgap—an option for one season (or less) to either hold down the fort while a rookie adjusts to the NFL or as a patch because New York is so unimpressed by the Class of 2025 that it passes on drafting a quarterback this year altogether.

Gardner Minshew II is still technically under contract in Las Vegas through 2025. But there's a real chance the Raiders cut bait if they draft a quarterback. Aidan O' Connell is still on a rookie deal and could be a better Plan B for Vegas under center. The team would also likely trade Minshew for a bag of Funyuns and some Fanta.

That Vegas would be so eager to be rid of Minshew speaks to the problems involved with handing him the keys to the offense. Last year with the Raiders, the 28-year-old completed 66.3 percent of his passes for just over 2,000 yards in 10 games. But he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and won just two games.

The upside with Minshew (modest though it may be) is that he'd be a relatively inexpensive short-term option who has 46 NFL starts under his belt. He's played well in stretches in the past, and his personality is usually a hit with teammates and fans.

But if he starts a significant number of games, it means the Jets are essentially punting on 2025 and the team plans the kind of rebuild that isn't accomplished in a single year.

Of course, an argument can be made that a ground-up rebuild would be the wisest course of action for the new regime at Florham Park.

It's going to be interesting to see how aggressive the Jets are in pursuing a rookie quarterback this year. Landing Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Miami's Cam Ward would all but certainly require a trade up from seventh overall. It's not considered an especially talented or deep draft class at the position this year.

If the Jets aren't in love with the bigger names at the position but still want to add a rookie at the position to pair with a veteran fill-in, Kyle McCord of Syracuse could be an interesting option.

In December 2023, the 22-year-old left Ohio State after a disappointing (by the Buckeyes' standards) 2023 season. He landed at Syracuse, where his numbers exploded last year. No FBS quarterback had more passing yards last year than his 4,779, and he threw 34 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions.

The 6'2", 224-pounder is widely considered a Day 3 prospect for two reasons: lack of mobility and a tendency to rattle under pressure.

However, Bill Sparks of TWSN wrote that the team drafting McCord this year might just wind up with a value under center:

"I currently have a round 4 grade on McCord, but he definitely is a quarterback to watch as we move through the draft cycle as he could certainly rise up draft boards. With a game that's reminiscent of Jared Goff, a team such as the Cleveland Browns or Seattle Seahawks who chooses to pass on a quarterback early could secure McCord as their quarterback of the future moving forward."

The Jets are another team that would be well-served keeping a close eye on McCord during the pre-draft process.

Who says you can't go home again?

There isn't a quarterback in the NFL who exceeded expectations more in 2024 than Sam Darnold.

Entering the season, the 27-year-old was Plan B for a Vikings team reeling from the loss of rookie J.J. McCarthy to an ACL tear. Fast-forward a handful of months, and he is easily the best QB about to hit free agency after a career year and leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record.

Yes, his last two starts of the season were clunkers, but the USC product was fifth in the league in passing yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35).

However, Darnold's return to the team that drafted him third overall in 2018 isn't especially likely for a few reasons.

The first is that he probably isn't leaving the Twin Cities unless the Vikings trade him. The franchise tag for quarterbacks is expected to be $41.3 million. That's not an unreasonable amount for a contender to spend on insurance against McCarthy's knee—and the fact that he has yet to throw an NFL pass that counts.

Then there's the money. Whoever signs (or deals for) Darnold is going to be looking at a contract in the neighborhood of $40 million a season. That's going to be problematic for a Jets team with $21 million in cap space and a huge dead cap hit for Rodgers looming.

Finally, there's the matter of going back to New York, a place where Darnold struggled mightily, a franchise that gave up on him and a market where the media will be on him from the moment he steps off the plane.

Reunions may make for good stories, but this one is highly unlikely.

Steelers team president Art Rooney II told reporters recently that the team would like to bring back Russell Wilson or Justin Fields in 2025.

According to Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports, though, Pittsburgh is ready to wash its hands of the veteran:

"I'll keep this short and very much to the point: Russell Wilson's not wanted by the Steelers. Like, at all. I had multiple conversations with people inside the team, and the universal sentiment among them regarding the player who quarterbacked the offense to a five-loss collapse to close the season was this: Don't try here what you tried in Denver upon that ugly exit from the Broncos after a public spat with Sean Payton, which was to blame others for your shortcomings. Also, this: There's the door."

Supposing Wilson does hit the open market, the Jets could have difficulty making the numbers work. The dead cap hit for releasing Rodgers is $14 million this year and a staggering $35 million in 2026. The trade numbers aren't any better.

Moving on from the 41-year-old in 2025 will blast New York's cap. There's no way around it.

Also, how much better than Rodgers would Wilson really make the Jets? From all indications, Wilson doesn't want to be a bridge guy. He believes he can still be a quality starter. The last five games of Pittsburgh's 2024 campaign, on the other hand, tell a different story.

All it takes is one team to believe that, though, and the Jets will be out of the running even if they wanted Wilson. And with Pete Carroll taking over the Las Vegas Raiders…

This is a signing that fans of the Jets may well love—right up until they hate it.

There have been moments when Jameis Winston has been one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the NFL. In one of his seven starts for the Cleveland Browns last year, he set a franchise record for passing yards in a game with a whopping 497.

But turnovers have long been an issue with the 2015 first overall pick. He has thrown 111 interceptions in his career, including a dozen last year. He's the only quarterback in league history to throw 30 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions in a season.

For his part, the 31-year-old told reporters he still believes he can be a quality NFL starter:

"I'm praying for another opportunity to sling that pill and prove to these owners and head coaches that I can be a trustworthy quarterback. I think that's the only thing that I haven't proven since I've been in this league. I've had the numbers in terms of statistics, but, man, I haven't won enough games."

If the Jets plan to draft a quarterback relatively early in 2025 (or even roll the dice on a later-round signal-caller), then Winston may be the best fill-in option available where veterans are concerned. He wouldn't be especially expensive and would likely accept the reality that even if he makes starts, they will probably be numbered.

The turnovers are something the team would just have to live with. Winston is who he is, but he's also more than capable of carving up NFL defenses.

The Jets hired former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman as a senior football adviser.

And as the Rodgers news was breaking, it didn't take long for pundits such as Rich Cimini of ESPN to start connecting the dots between Spielman and Kirk Cousins as a potential option for New York.

"Spielman's presence in the front office is sure to spark Kirk Cousins speculation," Cimini said. "As the Minnesota Vikings' GM, Spielman signed Cousins to a huge free agent deal in 2018. Cousins, who enjoyed his most productive years in Minnesota, is likely to be cut or traded by the Atlanta Falcons in the coming weeks. If the Jets move on from Rodgers, Cousins, 36, could be a short-term option."

Cousins isn't an option that will inspire a ton of enthusiasm from fans. After a decent start to the season with the Falcons in 2024, he tied for the NFL lead in interceptions and was benched in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.

But the 36-year-old was coming off an Achilles tear and also played through elbow and shoulder injuries. And with a no-trade clause in his contract, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on NFL Live that he expects the Falcons to eat a big dead cap hit of their own and release Cousins.

"This is a situation that looks an awful lot like what Denver and Russell Wilson went through last offseason before Denver decided ultimately to move on from him, when it said it wouldn't necessarily do that," he said. "They released him, he wound up signing a one-year deal with a low salary in Pittsburgh."

If New York could get Cousins to agree to play for the Jets for a modest amount while being paid by the Falcons a la Wilson a year ago, that could be a best-case scenario for the team where a short-term veteran is concerned.

The Jets are in something of a sticky wicket where the 2025 draft is concerned.

As mentioned, the No. 7 pick probably won't be good enough for Ward or Sanders. A trade up means expending additional draft capital, and New York's needs go beyond just the quarterback position.

It's still early in the pre-draft process, but there are a handful of signal-callers who could work their way into consideration late in Round 1 or early in Round 2.

With the conditional pick from the Davante Adams deal falling in Round 3, the second round is the spot if New York wants to swing early on a rookie.

And that should put Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss squarely on the team's radar.

Per Reese Decker of Pro Football Network, there's a lot to like about the 6'2", 220-pounder, even though he's far from a finished product:

"With 41 starts over four years, the 21-year-old is a seasoned prospect. Dart is a smooth operator and a gritty competitor with more than a little moxie. His dual-threat ability stretches the defense thin and keeps them honest in the RPO game, which is what he does best. Dart can deliver an accurate ball with touch at all levels of the field and is not afraid to stick in the pocket and deliver a throw in the face of pressure or lower his shoulder in the open field to pick up a few extra yards. Dart, however, is nothing close to being the perfect prospect. He needs to improve his deep-ball accuracy, arm strength, and refine his mechanics, marrying his eyes, hips, and feet."

Dart may not be ready to start right away. But with some time to sit and learn the NFL game, he has all the talent necessary to be a solid NFL starter.

Again, this isn't a fantastic class for quarterbacks—at least at first glance. There are two first-round locks, and perhaps just one who appears ready to take the reins of an NFL offense from Day 1.

The best course of action for the Jets is a two-pronged approach: a veteran who can play in 2025 and a rookie who can take the reins in 2026.

And in his scouting report for Alabama's Jalen Milroe for Bleacher Report, Dame Parson describes potentially just the sort of quarterback the Jets should target—either in Round 2 or perhaps even with a trade back up into the latter stages of Round 1:

"Milroe's outstanding blend of elite speed/athleticism, physically dense build, and a live arm fits the trend of today's quarterback archetypes. As he has shown this season, there are encouraging flashes of development as a pocket passer. If this continues, NFL decision-makers will be more than intrigued about placing him in their offense and building around his skillset. Milroe projects as a quarterback prospect that should sit instead of being a Day 1 starter in the NFL."

Parson goes on to comp Milroe to "shades of Jalen Hurts with a jet pack and stronger arm," which sounds like a player the Jets should be interested in.

The pitfall here? If Milroe shows off his wheels and athleticism in pre-draft workouts, his draft stock could shoot up well into Round 1.