TL;DR
- New York Jets will seek a new quarterback in 2026 after benching Justin Fields for Tyrod Taylor.
- Potential veteran option for the Jets in 2026 is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
- Kyler Murray's future with the Cardinals is uncertain, with a trade expected in 2026.
- Jets have significant cap space in 2026 to potentially acquire Kyler Murray or draft a quarterback.
The New York Jets will once again be in the quarterback market in 2026.
Following foolishly spurning Aaron Rodgers during the break between seasons, the Jets decided on Justin Fields, who has demonstrated he's utterly incompetent and a total drain on their finances.
Now, the Jets are benching Fields for Tyrod Taylor, who obviously has no future with this team given the fact he's 36 years old.
The Jets have a few options for 2026, one of which is, of course, drafting a quarterback. But they could also bring in a veteran signal-caller.
One potential option is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.
This change isn't anticipated to be short-term. Barring an injury to Taylor, which has occurred previously, I don't foresee the Jets returning to Fields for the remainder of this season. Furthermore, New York will undoubtedly have a different quarterback next year, either through the draft or by acquiring a veteran from elsewhere, like Kyler Murray.
Murray's future in Arizona is extremely murky at the moment.
Despite being on injured reserve, the experienced quarterback has had a poor 2025 season and was slated to be replaced by Jacoby Brissett prior to his injury, as Brissett's performance has been superior.
Adam Schefter of ESPN has indicated that the expectation is for the two sides will part ways in 2026, and it's likely this will occur through a trade.
The problem is that Murray's $230 million contract has a whopping $36.8 million guaranteed on it in 2026, so trading him might not be easy. Murray's deal runs through 2028, but there is no guaranteed money in 2027 or 2028.
If the Jets are willing to give up the draft capital it would take to acquire him (that could be multiple draft picks, including at least one first-round or on Day 2 pick), they will have the cap space to take on Murray's contract.
According to Over the Cap, New York is projected to have $99.2 million in cap space in 2026 before making any cuts.
Even though Murray would offer a dependable quarterback option for The Jets in 2026, the team ought to feel free to select a signal-caller at any stage of the draft.
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