With each win they secure over the final stretch of the 2025 season, the New York Jets push themselves further away from the chance to draft one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class.

Gang Green has won three of its last five games since an 0-7 start. During that span, the Jets’ projected slot in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft has dropped from first overall to seventh.

Some fans aren’t happy about that. They believe the only way for the Jets to turn around their misfortune is to draft a top quarterback prospect. Others, though, are appreciative of the organization showing incremental improvements with each passing contest.

Despite the difficulty of the Jets’ quarterback situation, there are plenty of solutions available to them—including one that lies in the hands of their MetLife Stadium roommates.

Jets’ future QB options

Over the next two drafts, the Jets own five first-round picks and three second-round picks. They are also projected to have over $99 million in salary cap space going into the 2026 offseason.

While the Jets could punt their quarterback decision to 2027, the team could also look to sign or trade for a veteran this offseason. Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray is among the starting quarterbacks expected to depart from their teams this offseason.

Jets fans may not be happy about the potential idea of a veteran pickup, but if the organization is going to punt drafting a quarterback until the following year, having a quality bridge can’t be overlooked.

Other veterans, such as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones or Los Angeles Rams signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo, fit the bridge mold for Gang Green.

There’s another option for the Jets, though, centering around an unlikely partnership with their cross-town rivals.

As rough as recent years have been for the Jets, life has been just as hard for the New York Giants. The Jets have four more wins than the Giants since 2023.

However, unlike the Jets, the Giants have a hopeful solution at quarterback.

Jaxson Dart, whom Big Blue traded up to take in the first round of the 2025 draft, has shown plenty of promise in his rookie year. He hasn’t done enough to alter the Giants’ win total, but he’s given the fanbase reason for hope.

The Giants, meanwhile, are set to have the second overall selection in the 2026 draft if the season ended today. If the draft order stays the same by the final day of the regular season, Big Blue will be the Jets’ best chance to get their future quarterback in the coming months.

With the quarterback position addressed, the Giants could very well look to trade out of the second overall pick to accumulate more picks for their rebuild. That leaves the door open for New York to make an offer.

If the Jets are truly set on drafting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza or any other quarterback in the 2026 class, the Giants would be the best ticket for them to get a deal done. As the draft order currently stands, trading into the Giants’ No. 2 slot would allow the Jets to leapfrog three quarterback-needy teams: the Saints, Raiders, and Browns.

The Giants certainly wouldn’t take a quarterback at No. 2. While they could stay put and select an elite prospect, they desperately need more picks to strengthen a roster that currently has just two wins, especially with a new coaching staff that will want to put its stamp on the team.

So, while some Jets fans are frustrated by the idea of the team winning its way out of a top quarterback prospect, all hope is not lost. The assets collected by New York at the trade deadline provide general manager Darren Mougey with a wealth of options to maneuver the board and get his guy.

If things hold, the Giants may hold the most appealing option for Mougey to pursue.