The New York Jets may have made some impactful moves in the early stages of the 2026 NFL offseason, including swapping out Justin Fields for Geno Smith at quarterback, but the questions that always seem to loom large over this organization are still in full force. Smith is by no means a one-stop shop for quarterback improvement.
When pontificating on what is the biggest issue facing every quarterback room in the 2026 season, ESPN's Dan Graziano wonders if "all eyes really just on next year?" in Florham Park. Graziano does not seem overly bullish on either veteran Bailey Zappe or fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik becoming anything more than a long-term backup for the Jets.
Graziano was quick to note that with the Jets sporting two additional first-round picks in addition to their own next year, they can land a top prospect without having to tank. If they want to move up, no team has more ammunition.
Lack of long-term answer is Jets' biggest QB issue in 2026
Smith's return to the Jets in 2026 can go one of three ways. If he performs as well as he did with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jets will likely be rebooting on a wholesale scale, which includes a new head coach and quarterback from the 2027 NFL Draft. Even with a better offensive line in front of him, that's not out of the question.
If Smith turns back the clock to his Seattle days, he could be under center once again in 2027. If the planets align and the Jets are close to .500 in 2026, they could be so confident in their young roster that will be supplemented with three first-round picks that they won't turn the reins over to a rookie right out of the gate.
What may end up happening is something in the middle, which will create yet another offseason quandary. A solid season from Smith will likely not be enough to prevent them from dipping into the quarterback well in 2027, but Geno may not have played well enough to warrant a second season in New York.
In many ways, the song remains the same for the Jets. Even though they have made some very interesting improvements over the last few months, including at quarterback, the fact of the matter is that they don't have their long-term starter on the roster, barring the most improbable of seasons from Smith.
