Jets 'Early Favorite' Emerges to Replace Justin Fields

With the NFL’s free-agency window set to swing open on Monday, the New York Jets have both the motive and the means to reshape a roster that finished 2025 in disappointing fashion. Armed with just over $73 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap, general manager Joe Douglas can attack a shopping list that starts under center and extends across the defensive depth chart. League sources believe the team will prioritize adding at least one quarterback, one wide receiver, one or two edge rushers, a safety and a cornerback to give head coach Robert Saleh the competitive roster he has yet to enjoy.

Among the signal-callers, one name is already gaining traction inside the building and around the league: Geno Smith. The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reports that the former Jet “feels like the early favorite” to land the starting job in 2026, a development that would reunite the 35-year-old quarterback with the franchise that drafted him 39th overall in 2013.

Smith’s résumé makes the attraction easy to understand. After a turbulent start to his career in New York and later stops in Los Angeles and Seattle, he re-established himself as a viable starter by throwing for 4,320 yards with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2024. He earned Pro Bowl nods in 2022 and 2023, and his experience operating both up-tempo and play-action concepts would give offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett a steady hand while the Jets groom younger pieces around him.

The expected contract structure adds to Smith’s appeal. Because he was released with guaranteed money remaining on his previous deal, any new team can sign him for the veteran minimum—about $1.3 million—while his former employer continues to pay the bulk of his 2026 salary. That bargain rate preserves the bulk of the Jets’ cap space for other needs, a crucial consideration for a club that still has multiple holes on defense.

Rosenblatt notes that the Jets will monitor a tier of quarterbacks who fit the same cost profile. Arizona’s Kyler Murray, should he reach the open market, is widely expected to land in Minnesota, while Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa remains a speculative option if the Dolphins move on. Malik Willis is viewed as too pricey, and the club is not expected to pursue Derek Carr. Veteran backups Carson Wentz—who previously worked with senior offensive consultant Frank Reich—and Andy Dalton are also on the radar, as is Buffalo free agent Mitchell Trubisky, whom ESPN linked to New York in a reserve role.

For now, though, the spotlight shines on Smith, whose familiarity with the market, proven production and minimal cap hit check every box for a front office determined to build a playoff-caliber roster without mortgaging future flexibility. If the Jets finalize a one-year pact, they would secure a bridge quarterback capable of keeping the offense afloat while the rest of the roster is fortified through free agency and the draft.

New York’s quarterback carousel has spun for decades; the coming days will reveal whether the next spin stops on an old friend in new colors.