There’s no question that the New York Jets’ most significant need going into the 2026 offseason will be at the quarterback position.

How the organization solves that need, though, is more clouded than ever before.

Many New York fans want their team to draft a young signal-caller, whether it be Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Oregon signal-caller Dante Moore, or Alabama’s Ty Simpson. The Jets have four draft picks in the first two rounds of the upcoming NFL draft.

There’s another way to use those picks to acquire a franchise quarterback, though: Trading them for an established star.

Recent drama surrounding two of the best quarterbacks in the league has some fans hopeful that the Jets won’t need the draft to fill their biggest hole in 2026.

Could Jets make a blockbuster trade?

In the last week alone, two Super Bowl quarterbacks have been tossed into rumors surrounding their future with the teams that drafted them.

In Philadelphia, Eagles Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts suffered the worst game of his career last week, punctuating a disastrous season for Philadelphia’s offense. The Eagles are 19th in scoring and 24th in total offense. It has media members in the City of Brotherly Love openly showing their support for a long-term change going forward.

Hurts isn’t the only franchise quarterback shrouded in trade rumors. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow recently spoke to the media in apparent frustration with the team’s current standing.

Burrow and Hurts are on two different spectrums of struggles right now. Either way, both have futures that are becoming murkier by the week, and it leaves teams like the Jets raising an eyebrow.

But what are the odds that either quarterback could be moved to New York, of all places, in the upcoming offseason?

Jalen Hurts

Hurts has never been a high-profile passer compared to players like Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen. What sets him apart, though, is his elite mobility and his winning track record.

Philadelphia hasn’t suffered a losing season with Hurts as the starting quarterback and has made the playoffs in four straight years as well. Two Super Bowl appearances and a title have been earned in his four-year run with the team. He is also third all-time among quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (43).

For an organization as desperate for a competent quarterback as New York, Hurts would be an appealing face of the franchise, warts and all.

The issue with Hurts, though, is that he is mired in a down year as a passer. His 51.9 QBR is his worst mark since becoming Philadelphia’s starter in 2021, and it ranks 20th out of 31 qualifiers.

Hosts at the local radio station, 94.1 WIP, and plenty of fans are hoping to see the quarterback benched.

Is that something Philadelphia is ready to do, though?

Chance of Jets trade: Low

It’s highly unlikely that the Eagles will get rid of Hurts, no matter how much WIP may want to move him.

First, the Oklahoma product has a no-trade clause. Any potential trade would need to be signed off by the quarterback. Why would he sign on to move to a Jets squad with worse receiving options and an offensive line that isn’t as good as Philadelphia’s elite unit?

There’s also the added reality that Hurts is beloved by the Eagles front office. Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman, and Nick Sirianni are all-in on the quarterback, who was rewarded for his first Super Bowl appearance with a five-year, $255 million deal.

The Eagles aren’t about to trade a Super Bowl MVP a year removed from that win, and even if they did, he wouldn’t accept a trade to New York.

Joe Burrow

Most NFL quarterback rankings have Burrow as one of the top four players at the position. In 2024, Burrow led the league in passing touchdowns (43) and passing yards (4,918), while leading the Bengals to a 9-8 record despite a weak squad around him.

The issue for the LSU product, though, is that he has battled major injuries over the course of his career. He missed time due to a broken foot throughout the 2025 season and played in just 10 games in 2023. As a rookie, Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his knee.

That rash of injuries, coupled with a likely third consecutive season of missing the playoffs, left the signal-caller struggling to put into words why he is still a Bengal.

“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing this,” Burrow said. “I have been through a lot. If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? That is the mindset I am trying to bring to the table.”

Burrow’s comments have sent Cincinnati fans into a panic. The team wouldn’t be competitive without its franchise quarterback.

It leaves Jets fans wondering if three first-round picks and a little more would be enough to bring him to Florham Park.

Chance of trade: Low/Medium

Burrow’s comments are alarming for all Bengal fans. The former Heisman Trophy winner has dealt with a myriad of injuries over the years, and the team has not improved around him.

Cincinnati fans may worry that their starting quarterback could be compared to the second coming of Andrew Luck, a dynamic signal-caller who retired early in his career due to injuries.

That leaves a trade less likely than flat-out retiring.

Burrow, like Hurts, has a no-trade clause. If the Bengals wanted to start over, Burrow would get to choose his next destination.

That leaves the Jets and their unproven structure an unlikely home for Burrow.

If New York wants to eventually become a destination that stars in their primes wish to join, they have to prove themselves as a competent organization first.