Starting QB Options for 2026
The Jets will likely be selecting a quarterback in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, and whoever it is shouldn’t start right away.
The Jets absolutely need to find a veteran (or two) in order to allow the draft pick to sit — preferably the entire season. The field to choose from is thin, and they may even need to go the UFL route, which doesn’t provide a lot of NFL experience.
Let’s weigh the options.
Keep Justin Fields
Justin Fields is due to make $20 million in 2026 ($23 million cap charge). Frankly, he shouldn’t be a starter anywhere in the NFL, and keeping him might frustrate the roster around him, even with the silver lining of a new quarterback waiting in the wings.
Cutting him and using a post-June 1 designation would cost the Jets $10 million in cash in 2026, and they would gain $10 million in cap space on June 2, but lose $9 million more in 2027 (which they would incur regardless).
Other Veteran Options
They could bring back Tyrod Taylor as their starter, which would be risky if they don’t also bring in another veteran. They’re paying Taylor $6 million to be the backup in 2025. So, he’d probably expect a little more to be a bridge quarterback. Give him a one-year, $8 million contract ($2 million signing bonus), and add one void year to the current deal.
It’s a $2 million cash savings overall for a Fields cut and Taylor signing, and Taylor’s contract would look like this.
There’s only one other option that makes sense for the Jets, and that’s Marcus Mariota. Mariota is currently on the Washington Commanders, and he may just want to return there, but if he hits the market, and the Jets use him as a bridge, it’ll likely cost the team similar to keeping Fields.
Mariota’s 2025 contract was for a maximum of $8.2 million and had $7.49 million in guarantees. Going into his age-33 season, and expecting to start for a large portion of the season, he’d be able to command some decent money.
That said, the structure of the contract could help the Jets too. Many teams look at both cash value and cap, with cash being prominent.
With this contract, the Jets would pay Mariota $6.3 million guaranteed (2026 base salary + signing bonus), an additional $38,888 per game on the active roster (approximately), and add $2 million in incentives: for a total of $9 million max. That’s $1 million less than Fields.
Inexperienced NFL Option (UFL)
If the Jets wanted to go cheap with their bridge option, they could turn to the United Football League. Those quarterbacks, though, typically don’t have NFL starting experience.
Luis Perez has never made an NFL roster, but he’s been invited to several NFL camps. He’s been a mainstay in spring football since leagues started sprouting up again. He’s done well against that level of professional competition. His being the bridge starter would just be to buy some time for the draft pick, who the Jets would expect to start sooner rather than in 2027.
Given his lack of NFL experience, they could get him for a minimum contract of one year, $885,000. That means, it would cost the Jets a total of $10,885,000 for Fields and Perez.
The options for 2026 are thin, but starting the rookie should not be an option unless he wows in camp. Many NFL fans believe a quarterback should start right away, but that’s not the case. Quarterbacks starting right away should be the exception, not the norm.