Jets' tank plans may have just gotten more complicated in Week 18

The New York Jets enter their Week 18 regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills with little left to play for beyond draft positioning, but their path to a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft may have just gotten more complicated.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen did not practice for a second straight day on Thursday due to a foot injury, setting the stage for Buffalo to rest their franchise quarterback in Sunday's finale.

If Allen sits, the Jets would face a Bills team led by backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, which could level the playing field a little against a Jets squad still planning to start Brady Cook. While most still expect a Jets loss, the matchup may no longer be as straightforward as it once appeared.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced Wednesday that Brady Cook will make his fourth consecutive start, and while Glenn may insist the team is trying to win every week, that decision alone makes the Jets’ priorities fairly clear.

Jets likely to face Mitch Trubisky in must-lose Week 18 game vs Bills

Cook’s brief stint as the Jets’ starter this season has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. In four appearances, including three starts, Cook has completed just under 59 percent of his passes while throwing for 679 yards, one touchdown, and seven interceptions.

The efficiency numbers paint an even bleaker picture, as he is averaging only 5.2 yards per attempt with a passer rating south of 53. Cook has also struggled to avoid negative plays, taking 18 sacks in limited action.

The results have followed accordingly, with the Jets going winless in his starts and the offense largely sputtering whenever he has been under center. It's become painfully clear that Cook is not an NFL-caliber quarterback.

As for Trubisky, he has not started an NFL game since 2023, when he went 0–2 in spot duty with the Steelers, and he has not recorded a win as a starter since 2022.

Jets fans did get a brief glimpse of him earlier this year, when he checked in for a single snap against New York and completed a 32-yard pass on third-and-long against Sauce Gardner before Josh Allen immediately returned.

Trubisky did, however, essentially play all of Buffalo’s Week 18 finale last season, finishing 15-of-21 for 101 yards and a touchdown in a 23–16 loss to the Patriots. Even so, a matchup versus Trubisky is hardly what the Jets envisioned when mapping out their ideal path to a top-three pick.

A Jets victory could cause the team to fall as far as the No. 7 overall pick if other results do not break their way. Conversely, a loss would lock New York into a top-three selection, with a chance to climb as high as No. 2 overall if the New York Giants win.

In other words, the outcome of Sunday’s finale matters far more than the scoreboard would suggest. One unexpected result could swing the Jets’ draft position dramatically and alter the direction of the entire organization.

Godspeed, Tank Commander Cook.