“Get him at all costs.”
That rallying cry is already being echoed from a loud corner of New York Jets fans after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza knocked off No. 1-ranked Ohio State and secured the Big Ten title.
With far too many Jets fans already glued to Tankathon instead of the final month of the season, and with Mendoza’s stock climbing fast, the chatter has shifted to what kind of trade-up package the Jets should assemble to go get him.
Yes, with the Jets at 3-10, it’s understandable that some people are already mapping out hypothetical draft hauls.
It doesn’t change the fact that those fans are wrapped up in delusion.
What Jets fans must realize
A rookie quarterback isn’t fixing all of this team’s problems overnight. It’s that simple.
To be clear, none of this is a knock on Fernando Mendoza. The Miami native is a legitimate top quarterback prospect in this class. Whether he fully matches the hype he’s getting is a conversation for another day — and probably another article.
What matters now is context. The Jets’ trade-deadline reset, moving on from Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to stockpile three first-round picks and a second across the next two drafts, created extremely valuable flexibility that cannot be wasted.
Those picks aren’t candy. They’re premium assets that can truly alter a franchise’s trajectory. The Jets simply can’t afford to burn additional first-round capital to climb the board for Mendoza, especially when he’s not walking in the door and flipping the switch from day one.
Yes, this roster is better positioned for a rookie quarterback than it has been in a long time. The offensive line has taken shape, and the supporting cast is trending in the right direction.
But those picks need to go toward building around whoever the quarterback ends up being, not be sacrificed in a desperation play to secure one.
The Jets have more holes than you think
While it is certainly easy to get excited about the core players on this team, like Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, and the ascent of players like Jowon Briggs and Azareye’h Thomas, this team isn’t just a “quarterback away” as some fans tend to think.
Right now, New York has exactly one reliable wideout in Wilson. The defensive front is one of the weakest in the league, the linebackers have been inconsistent at best, and the secondary remains almost entirely unproven. This roster needs help everywhere, not just under center.
The idea that any quarterback, even a great one, can walk into Florham Park, flip a switch, and drag this team into the postseason is pure fantasy.
The franchise already signaled the start of a full-scale rebuild when they moved on from Gardner and Williams at the deadline. No quarterback, let alone a rookie, is fixing that overnight.
If anything, this team needs to use some of those newfound premium picks to add a couple more legitimate offensive weapons and reinforce a poor overall defense.
This is a rebuild, and the Jets can’t shortcut their way out of it by giving away their premium assets to go all-in on a quarterback in April.
Stay the course
Again, this isn’t a bash against Mendoza. If he falls to the Jets, it would make perfect sense to take him. Even a reasonable trade-up package would be justifiable.
But the larger point stands: neither Mendoza nor any rookie quarterback is walking through the door and singlehandedly reviving this franchise by 2026. The Jets cannot afford to burn the premium assets they’ve finally accumulated just to force a quarterback pick.
They need those picks to rebuild the roster and give this organization a real chance at sustained success.