New York Jets

The New York Jets are "comfortable" naming Tyrod Taylor as their Week 1 starting quarterback, although the team is bound to add more competition, perhaps by adding a "second-tier" prospect in April's NFL draft, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

"On the surface, Taylor seems like a fallback option, but the Jets are telling people they would be comfortable with him as their opening-day starter," Cimini wrote in part. "There's virtually no chance of them going into the season with Taylor, [Jordan Travis] and [Adrian Martinez]."

Cimini discussed possible avenues for the Jets to add a quarterback, and he mentioned that "based on conversations with league sources," adding a second-tier signal-caller in the draft is a "likely avenue" for New York.

There are other options as well, of course. One of them is a veteran bridge quarterback, perhaps the Pittsburgh Steelers' Justin Fields.

"The Jets are open to adding a veteran to compete with Taylor, but only if they feel it's the right fit," Cimini wrote. "In other words, don't be surprised if they emerge from the first wave of free agency without another quarterback."

There's also the possibility the Jets could move up from seventh to first overall via trade with the Tennessee Titans. ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that the Jets have expressed interest in doing that, although Cimini said "nothing is imminent."

Plus, that would take a massive trade to pull off, and it's possible new general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn want to hold onto their assets as they look to rebuild a 5-12 team.

New York is entering a different era with new leadership and a to-be-determined quarterback after parting ways with Aaron Rodgers. The Jets haven't made the playoffs since 2010 but have some talent on the roster that could lead them there.

QB1 is the team's biggest question mark right now, but it seems like Taylor, the team's backup last season, will certainly be around as Gang Green looks for better days.

The New York Jets are "high" on quarterback Justin Fields, per Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz.

Fields is an impending free agent who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. The 26-year-old played in 10 games (six starts) and completed 65.8 percent of his passes for five touchdowns, one interception and 1,106 yards. He also rushed for 289 yards and five more scores while leading Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record in his starts.

Fields began the season as the Steelers' starter after veteran Russell Wilson, the team's announced QB1, suffered a calf injury that sidelined him in the beginning of the year. Wilson took over on Oct. 20 against the New York Jets and remained the starter for the rest of the year.

The Jets are in the market for a quarterback after parting ways with veteran Aaron Rodgers this offseason. They pick No. 7 overall and have reported interest in Miami's Cam Ward, although Gang Green would presumably need to trade up to get him.

Per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt on Monday, "if the Jets were to trade up it would be for Miami's Cam Ward. ... ESPN reported that the Jets are among the teams considering moving up, likely to get Ward, though it would be a costly deal, likely involving multiple firsts and other picks and/or players. At this stage, I consider it unlikely to happen."

SNY's Connor Hughes of SNY also noted New York has "contacted" the Tennessee Titans regarding the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

However, Hughes added that "the way those discussions were described to me were as 'preliminary' and 'checking in'—essentially, [general manager Darren Mougey] was doing his homework. That could change if the Jets fall in love with a prospect in the coming weeks and months. But, personally, I'm not sure that it happens for two reasons: The cost and the Jets' other holes."

The legal tampering period begins on Tuesday, when teams can speak with the representation of free agents to begin negotiations. So if the Jets are in on Fields, we'll find out soon enough if the two sides can reach an agreement.

Ahead of their impending release of Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets are facing significant questions at the quarterback position.

With no clear-cut answers, one NFL executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando that he expects the Jets to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

"They gotta get a quarterback, and this might be where Jaxson Dart goes," the exec said. "They are sitting there with Tyrod Taylor as their starter right now."

The new Jets regime, led by first-year head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, made the decision to move on from Rodgers last month. It would be wise for them to pursue a veteran on the open market this offseason, but Sando noted that the executives he spoke to "agree the Jets appear desperate heading into free agency, with few appealing options."

While some believe that Dart is the No. 3 quarterback in this year's draft class behind Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, it would still be a massive reach for New York to select him at No. 7. B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranks him as the No. 58 overall player and No. 4 quarterback in its latest draft big board.

If Dart isn't selected by the Jets, Sando reported that there's still a belief that the team would stick with the quarterback position with its first-round pick.

"I think it’s going to be a quarterback, but we don’t know which one," another exec told Sando.

The New York Jets are set to get some much-needed cap relief after reportedly releasing a veteran on Tuesday.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets are releasing wide receiver Davante Adams. Schefter noted that the move will save the Jets $29.9 million on their salary cap, which currently stands at $258.8 million, per Spotrac.

Parting ways with Adams leaves New York thin at the receiver position, as its current depth chart now looks like this:

WR: Garrett Wilson, Malachi Corley, Irv Charles

WR: Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson, Malik Taylor

Spotrac provided some more clarity regarding how releasing Adams affect the Jets' salary cap:

There could be even more changes in store for the Jets receiving corps, as Schefter reported earlier on Tuesday that the team is allowing Allen Lazard to seek a trade. It was also noted that New York is open to retaining Lazard, but trading him would get his non-guaranteed $22 million for the next two seasons off the books while creating $6.5 million in dead cap space, per Spotrac.

Adams was acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders in October in exchange for a 2025 third-round draft pick. While it was expected that reuniting him with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers would benefit the team, New York's struggles continued on its way to a 5-12 finish to the 2024 campaign.

In 11 games with the Jets, Adams recorded 67 catches, 854 yards and seven touchdowns, giving him his fifth straight 1,000-yard season. He had 18 receptions for 209 yards and a score in three games with the Raiders.

This is the first time in Adams' 11-year career that he will be able to test free agency. It's clear that the 32-year-old still has a lot left in the tank, so he should have his fair share of suitors on the open market. Perhaps he will look to continue teaming with Rodgers, who was also released by New York this offseason.

The New York Jets will have to get creative when figuring out contract extensions for their talented 2022 draft class, but one member reportedly has an easy route to a big payday.

Connor Hughes of SNY reported that "sources agreed" that an extension for Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner "is a far simpler deal" than the rest of the class.

"He'll reset the cornerback market as the highest-paid player because the two-time All-Pro First Team selection is (arguably) the NFL's top corner," Hughes stated.

In addition to Gardner, fellow 2022 first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Jermaine Johnson are eligible for extensions this offseason. Second-round pick Breece Hall is also in line for a new deal, so there's a lot of work to be done for the new regime in New York, led by first-year head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.

Gardner got off to an impressive start to his NFL career with back-to-back Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro first-team selections in his first two years in the league. However, he fell short of his astronomical standards during the Jets' disappointing 2024 season.

Across 15 games, Gardner totaled career lows of 49 total tackles and nine passes defended while also adding an interception and a sack. The Jets went 5-12 and fired head coach Robert Saleh early in the year, which caused Gardner and the rest of New York's once-top-five defense to suffer.

Still, Gardner has made it no secret that he hopes to remain with the Jets on a long-term deal.

"I want to be part of this for a long time. I want to be part of the change in this organization," he told ESPN's Rich Cimini in January before adding, "If I was to go somewhere else and then there was a change, I'd be a hater, for real. I'd be the No. 1 hater."

Gardner is the type of player the Jets should try to build around for the future, so Glenn and Mougey should be motivated to get an extension done with him sooner rather than later.

The New York Jets' pass distribution following the midseason acquisition of Davante Adams was apparently a source of internal frustration, according to The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt.

Rosenblatt reported Monday how Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was "running the offense how he saw fit" to the team's detriment. He added the four-time MVP by the end of the year was also "funneling targets to his closest friend on the team (Davante Adams), which didn't go over well with some of his teammates."

The Jets insider went on to say Rodgers and wide receiver Garrett Wilson didn't mesh well. The animated exchanges they had in training camp foreshadowed how the season would unfold.

"One issue the two ran into: Wilson likes to freelance on his routes sometimes to get open, using his unreal athleticism, while Rodgers typically requires his receivers to be where he expects them," Rosenblatt said. "It was a clash of styles, but it still resulted in plenty of production, with Wilson securing career highs in receptions (101), yards (1,104) and touchdowns (seven)."

The newest account probably helps to illustrate further why New York decided to eventually part ways with Rodgers this offseason.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported in December that "there have been questions regarding whether Rodgers and Wilson can find common ground since they had a blowup during training camp."

"While Wilson will not publicly say it, those who know him well believe he's been frustrated at the lack of looks from Rodgers while wondering what else he can do to fix the relationship," Rapoport wrote.

Wilson has a club option for 2026 before he's eligble for free agency the following offseason. The 24-year-old could be a long-term pillar of the passing game, and the Jets are approaching a point where they need to figure out whether he's worth paying $20 million or even $30 million-plus on an extension.

It doesn't sound like Wilson would've been set up for success if Rodgers had returned as the starter.

The 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons despite all of the drama surrounding his team's quarterback situation.

Should the Jets finally identify a solid solution, imagine how much it might help Wilson cement himself as an elite pass-catcher.

New York Jets quarterback Jordan Travis had a rookie year to forget in 2024, and his agent said the team made it worse because it rushed him back from injury.

"His rehab with the Jets was not the best," Deiric Jackson told ESPN's Rich Cimini. "They tried to rush him. It was too fast. There was pressure on the coaching staff and they tried to get him going sooner than the timeline really was. That caused the setback, and we had to shut him down completely."

New York selected Travis with a fifth-round pick after his impressive collegiate career at Florida State ended because of an ankle injury that cost him the finishing stretch of his final season.

Travis spent the entirety of his rookie year on the non-football injury list and never even practiced, and Cimini noted it was believed he "experienced swelling and soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle."

The Jets said they followed a rehab plan created by the quarterback's surgeon, Robert Anderson, although Jackson provided some hope and said "I'm optimistic" regarding the 2025 campaign.

Travis will be working with a new regime in New York, as the team hired new head coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey this offseason. That is probably a welcome development for the quarterback considering the comments from his agent.

The Florida State product impressed in his final year with the Seminoles as the 2023 ACC Player of the Year. They went undefeated during the regular season and won the ACC championship, although they were left out of the College Football Playoff in part because of concern about how competitive they would be after their starting quarterback suffered the ankle injury and was ruled out.

He completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,756 yards, 20 touchdowns and two interceptions while adding 176 yards and seven scores as a runner and might have been an earlier draft pick were it not for the injury.

Perhaps he will now have a chance to factor in the Jets' quarterback competition since the team is moving on from Aaron Rodgers.

New York Jets fans aren't the only ones who have a low opinion of the job Woody Johnson has done as owner of the franchise.

In the NFLPA report card released on Wednesday, Johnson was ranked as the worst owner in the league with an F grade from Jets players.

Among the key points attached to Johnson's grade were a 5.58 rating out of 10 in perceived willingness to invest in facilities that ranked last among all owners; and a feeling among players that he doesn't contribute to a positive team culture.

Johnson's highest mark was in players feeling like he is "somewhat committed to building a competitive team" in which he finished 31st out of 32 owners.

The last category is interesting, because the Jets spent the entire 2024 season seemingly trying to build a competitive team as quickly as possible.

It's certainly worth questioning how the Jets went about doing that, particularly with how far they went in bringing in players whom Aaron Rodgers had a preexisting relationship with.

Those deals for Nathaniel Hackett, Allen Lazard, Tim Boyle, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb didn't help change the Jets' fortunes. They finished 5-12 last season.

New head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey have said they intend to move on from Rodgers this offseason. It is a positive sign that Johnson gave them the authority to make that decision, but it still doesn't leave the Jets in a good spot at the quarterback position.

The Jets currently own the longest playoff drought in the four major men's sports organizations in North America. Their last postseason appearance was during the 2010 season.

In the 14 years since that playoff berth, the Jets have one winning season (10-6 in 2015) and have finished last in the AFC East seven times.

Johnson has owned the Jets since January 2000. They have the seventh-worst record in the NFL during that span with a .428 winning percentage.

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers faced criticisms for some of his missteps with the New York Jets, including skipping out on mandatory minicamp last offseason.

However, a team source told Bovada's Josina Anderson that Rodgers was the model teammate and many of his criticisms were overblown.

"He was an outstanding teammate. I’ve seen him support the guys in many ways. He might’ve been moody sometimes, but I saw him taking notes every meeting. We’re talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback who knows everything about every offense taking down notes," the source said. "I know he hand-wrote people Christmas cards and I heard he paid for some food trucks for guys during lunch. So things like that. I’m telling you nobody gave a f--king s--t that he wasn’t there for mandatory camp. That’s something you media people harp on. We just rolled with Tyrod Taylor."

Things got off to a rocky start last offseason when former Jets head coach Robert Saleh declared that Rodgers' absence from the team's two-day minicamp was "unexcused." Rodgers spoke out about the situation and downplayed the controversy.

"They can arbitrarily put a tag on whatever week of OTAs they want and say, 'This is the minicamp week,' which makes it somehow more mandatory than the other weeks," Rodgers said on an episode of the Pardon My Take podcast. "But it was an OTA schedule. That's how words can be a little deceiving from time to time. They can make a story out of the fact that I missed minicamp, but it was really two OTA days, but [I] came to the first 10."

The Jets announced earlier this month that they will be parting ways with Rodgers this offseason, just two years after acquiring him from the Green Bay Packers. The 41-year-old contemplated retirement but is believed to be returning for a 21st season in the NFL.

It's not yet clear which teams will be interested in landing Rodgers in free agency, but it bears watching if he ends up taking a different approach with his next franchise and participates in the entirety of its offseason program.

New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed is set to be one of the top defensive players in the free-agent market this offseason, and the team reportedly is unlikely to try to retain him by using the franchise tag.

ESPN's Rich Cimini explained that the Jets' new regime led by head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey is "looking to make changes, not retain older players from the previous administration." Reed is one of seven starters set to hit the open market, and Cimini believes he will be a popular free agent.

"Cornerback D.J. Reed, 28, figures to attract significant interest on the open market, as he ranked 14th out of 77 corners in EPA/target (minimum: 250 coverage snaps), per Next Gen Stats," Cimini wrote. "The tag amount for a corner is expected to exceed $20 million, too rich for the Jets. Reed is expected to test the market."

Reed has spent the last three seasons in New York. He appeared in 14 games in 2024 and produced 64 total tackles, 11 passes defended, a sack and no interceptions.

Amid a disappointing season for the Jets, Reed admitted that the constant losing wore on him and he was ready to move on from New York, telling Tyler Dunne of Go Long, "I'm ready to see what's next for me."

It sounds like Reed will get that chance this winter, as the Jets are not expected to use their franchise tag on him or anyone else.