We recently analyzed the types of quarterbacks that newly hired New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich has had success with.

With Reich’s history in mind, here are two veteran signal callers (excluding Jacoby Brissett, who is among the best bridge options for New York) that the Jets could target this offseason that fit the mold of QBs Reich has succeeded with.

Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco, 41, is a familiar face for Jets fans, as the Delaware product spent three seasons in the green and white (2020-22) and made nine starts for Gang Green over that span.

In 2023, Flacco signed with the Cleveland Browns in November following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury.

In storybook fashion, he led the Browns to a 4-1 record to close out the regular season, securing a playoff spot while completing 60.3% of his passing attempts for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The performance was good enough to be named the league’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Flacco signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024 to serve as their primary backup to Anthony Richardson. He ultimately made six starts for Indy while steering them to a 2-4 record, completing 65.3% of his passes for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

The New Jersey native returned to Cleveland for the 2025 season and won the Week 1 starting job, beating out Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel.

With Flacco at the helm, the Browns got off to a rough start, opening the season with a 1-3 record, before benching the 41-year-old in favor of Gabriel.

Flacco was then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after Joe Burrow’s toe injury and Jake Browning’s struggles, finishing the year with Cincy and making six more starts before Burrow returned to action in December.

For the Bengals, Flacco threw for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions on a 61.7% completion rate. While Cincinnati went 1-5 throughout his starts, he posted serviceable passing numbers and was a significant upgrade over the struggling Browning.

Standing at 6-foot-6 with a strong arm while having a traditional pocket presence, Flacco fits the bill of what Reich covets in a signal-caller.

Evidenced by his passing production in Cincinnati, he can still sling it, and if he is put behind a strong offensive line, which the Jets believe they have, he can keep them competitive as a bridge QB.

Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz had his best season under Reich’s watch in 2017 with the Philadelphia Eagles, when Reich was Philly’s offensive coordinator.

Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 record over his 13 starts while completing 60.2% of his passes for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, earning Pro Bowl honors.

The Eagles ultimately won the Super Bowl that season, but the job was finished by Nick Foles, as Wentz suffered a torn ACL in Week 14.

After a few uninspiring seasons in Philly following the injury, the Eagles ultimately handed the reins to second-round pick Jalen Hurts. They moved on from Wentz, trading him to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third and a conditional first-round draft pick, where he reunited with Reich.

Once again, Wentz succeeded under Reich’s watch. The former first-round pick threw for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions on a 62.4% completion rate, while leading Indy to a 9-8 record and falling just short of the playoffs.

After his one-year stint in Indy, Wentz bounced around, spending time with the Washington Commanders (2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023), and Kansas City Chiefs (2024), before landing with the Minnesota Vikings for the 2025 season.

He opened the season as J.J. McCarthy’s backup but ultimately made five starts as McCarthy dealt with a high ankle sprain that left him sidelined for an extended period.

Over five starts, Wentz led the Vikings to a 2-3 record while throwing for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. His 65.1% completion rate ranked 16th among 40 qualified quarterbacks, while his 7.2 yards per attempt ranked 14th, suggesting he was a serviceable option for Minnesota when called on.

There are major injury concerns, though. Wentz suffered a serious shoulder injury in October, which ended his 2025 season, and at 33 years old, it remains unknown how he will recover from the brutal injury.

However, given his connection with Reich, it is at least worth considering.

The path the Jets could take by signing Wentz would include selecting a developmental quarterback in a later round of April’s NFL draft to compete with the veteran over the summer.

Neither of these options is the most attractive, but they’re worth keeping in mind given Reich’s historical preferences at the quarterback position.