Feb. 12, 2026, 1:43 p.m. ET

Now that Super Bowl LX is over and the Seattle Seahawks are champions, the New York Jets will now focus on the offseason as they look to take a major step forward in 2026 after finishing last season with an abysmal 3-14 record in Aaron Glenn’s first year as head coach.

The Jets will have plenty of draft picks as well as plenty of salary cap space to improve their roster.  With the announcement by the NFL that the salary cap has been increased to roughly over $303 million in 2026, the Jets currently have $83 million available to spend, fourth most in the league.  Whether by trade or by free agency, expect the Jets to be very active with plenty of areas that need to be fixed.

But the billion-dollar question remains: Who will be the Jets quarterback in 2026?  What we know for certain is the next quarterback won’t be selected with the second overall pick in April’s NFL draft.  There will be plenty of options available through trade or free agency. But, the grizzled veteran quarterbacks available may not necessarily be the key to saving Glenn’s job in New York.

If the Jets are going to gamble on the most important position for next season, they might as well go big or go home.  With Frank Reich now serving as the team’s offensive coordinator, names like Jacoby Brissett and Carson Wentz are being thrown around as the potential Jets starter.  While that would make sense since both played for Reich when he was head coach in Indianapolis, why not take a gamble on a young quarterback that comes from a winning culture? A quarterback who learned under a Super Bowl MVP as well as a Super bowl winning head coach?  Why not roll the dice on Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee?

Now, let me preface this by saying McKee is a colossal risk at a position the Jets can’t afford to get wrong.  He’s been in the league for two years and has only appeared in six games over that time.  He’s thrown for close to 600 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception in those two seasons combined. 

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He’ll be 26 years old in April and has the size and the arm strength that Reich loves in his quarterbacks. McKee is a pocket passer that stands 6’6 and weighs 231 lbs.  He only has one start on his resume in Week 18 of the 2024 season against the New York Giants.  McKee got the win, threw for 269 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and completed 65% of his passes.  It’s a very, very, very small sample size, but is speaks to his potential, which has been Glenn and Mougey’s strategy when evaluating players to improve the roster.

While it seems like the safe play to bring in a veteran such as Mariota or Cousins, those moves come with similar risks as acquiring McKee. Even if the Jets improve their record with an experienced veteran, they’ll be right back to where they started looking for a new quarterback in 2027 as it would be highly unlikely Mougey would give an older veteran an extension regardless of performance.

But, McKee is the ultimate lottery ticket.  He’s young and comes from a winning culture in Philadelphia.  He has the physical tools. He’ll relish the chance to be a starter in the NFL where other veteran quarterbacks may only sign with the Jets to collect a check. 

Like most quarterbacks, McKee does have his flaws, the main one being he’s strictly a pocket passer with little to no mobility. That may not be a major issue with the Jets running game, especially if Breece Hall returns next season. McKee’s upside is off the charts and if he plays well, the Jets may not have to worry about finding a franchise quarterback and can use their future draft capital on other areas of need.

Glenn knows his back’s against the wall. Whether he signs a proven veteran or trades for a quarterback with potential in McKee, he’s rolling the dice with his job in either scenario. The 2026 season is do or die for Glenn. With those types of stakes, It may make more sense to pass on the older more established veteran that may buy the head coach another year and risk it all on the young underdog in Tanner McKee, a quarterback with the physical tools and plenty to prove.