6 backup QB options Jets could target after missing out on Andy Dalton

The New York Jets made their move at quarterback this offseason, trading for Geno Smith in a reunion that gives Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey a clear veteran starter heading into 2026. It’s the latest step in a busy offseason that has seen the Jets reshape much of their roster, but their work at quarterback isn’t finished just yet.

Despite adding Smith, the Jets currently don’t have a viable backup quarterback on the roster after trading Justin Fields earlier this week. Many connected them to Andy Dalton, largely due to his ties to Frank Reich from their time together in Carolina, but that option is now off the table after he was traded to the Eagles on Wednesday.

With one of the most logical targets gone, the Jets are left surveying the remaining landscape. So who could they turn to next, whether in free agency or on the trade market? Let’s take a look at six options.

Backup QB targets remaining for the Jets

Tyrod Taylor

Sometimes the best backup quarterback option is the one already in the building. Tyrod Taylor fits that description for the Jets, having spent the last two seasons as the team’s primary backup while also making four starts last year.

He’s a familiar and trusted presence, someone who has earned the respect of both the coaching staff and the locker room. The Jets have quietly left the door open for a possible reunion, and there’s reason to believe Taylor would be open to returning as well.

Of course, durability remains the biggest concern. Taylor has dealt with injuries throughout his career, which limits his reliability in an extended role. Still, when healthy, he’s a steady veteran who can keep an offense functional and a team competitive.

That alone makes him a strong candidate to return, even if the Jets ultimately bring in another quarterback alongside him, whether through the draft or another veteran addition.

Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz has long felt like the most obvious external option for the Jets, largely due to his connection with offensive coordinator Frank Reich. The two spent years together in both Philadelphia and Indianapolis, and despite past reports of tension, they appear to remain on good terms.

In fact, multiple reports earlier this offseason suggested that Wentz was Reich’s preferred choice to join the Jets’ quarterback room, making a reunion feel almost inevitable at one point. That outlook, however, seems to have changed in recent days.

Momentum around a potential Wentz signing has cooled, and it now appears far less likely that he ends up with the Jets than it once did. While his familiarity with Reich and experience as a starter still make him a logical fit on paper, the situation no longer feels as clear-cut.

For now, Wentz remains an option worth monitoring, but one that seems increasingly unlikely as the Jets continue to evaluate other targets.

Will Levis

The Jets could also turn to the trade market in search of a backup quarterback, and one intriguing option is Tennessee Titans signal-caller Will Levis. A second-round pick in 2023, Levis started 21 games across his first two NFL seasons before being pushed into a reserve role following the arrival of Cam Ward.

His momentum stalled even further when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last July, keeping him off the field for the entire 2025 campaign. Now entering the final year of his rookie contract, Levis would be a classic low-risk, high-upside gamble.

He’s still young, has starting experience, and likely wouldn’t cost more than a Day 3 pick to acquire. Ideally, the Jets would still pair him with a more reliable veteran to stabilize the room, but as a developmental option with untapped potential, Levis makes plenty of sense as a buy-low target.

Tanner McKee

Another potential trade target the Jets could explore is Tanner McKee. The Eagles have not shown much interest in moving him, and his asking price could still be relatively high, but it’s fair to wonder if the addition of Dalton makes him at least a bit more expendable.

McKee has limited NFL experience, with just two career starts, but he’s impressed in those opportunities and has consistently flashed in the preseason. He’s also believed to have drawn interest from multiple teams around the league.

This remains a less likely scenario, largely because the Eagles don’t appear eager to part with him and the Jets may not be willing to meet the price. Still, McKee is worth mentioning as a potential option.

The Stanford connection with Frank Reich adds another layer of intrigue, and for a team looking to add a young developmental quarterback with some upside, he would check a lot of boxes.

Cooper Rush

The veteran free-agent quarterback market isn’t especially appealing, but one of the more experienced options available is Cooper Rush. Rush spent the majority of his career as a backup with the Dallas Cowboys, starting 14 games over seven seasons, including eight in 2024.

He was serviceable in that role, posting a 4-4 record with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions that year, and finishing his Cowboys tenure with a 9-5 record as a starter.

Rush spent last season backing up Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, where things didn’t go nearly as smoothly. He struggled in limited action, throwing zero touchdowns and four interceptions while losing both of his starts.

He’s not an exciting option and wouldn’t exactly rank among the league’s better backup quarterbacks, but given the lack of proven veterans on the market, Rush is at least a name worth considering for a team still looking to fill out its quarterback room.

Joe Flacco

The final name worth mentioning is Joe Flacco. The Jets already reunited with one former quarterback this offseason, so it’s fair to wonder if they could do it again.

Flacco has had multiple stints with the organization and is coming off a 2025 season split between the Browns and Bengals that, somewhat hilariously, resulted in his first Pro Bowl appearance.

He started 10 games last year and, all things considered, held his own, proving he can still function as a high-end backup capable of winning games if kept upright in the right situation. That said, a reunion feels unlikely.

Flacco will likely have more appealing options elsewhere, and this may fall into the “been there, done that” category for both sides. The same could be said for other veteran names like Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo, who are technically available but would probably prioritize better opportunities.

Beyond that tier, the market quickly thins out, leaving options like Brandon Allen and Easton Stick, which only shows how uninspiring the Jets’ choices really are at this stage.