Jets trade idea lands former Pro Bowl QB for Day 3 pick swap

The New York Jets will have a new starting quarterback under center in 2026. The only question is who?

There are several veteran options on the free agent and trade market, but it's unlikely to be a rookie. The only pro-ready prospect appears to be Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, but the Las Vegas Raiders don't seem interested in moving off the No. 1 pick, given their own need for a quarterback.

So where does that leave the Jets? Is there a low-risk, high-reward option available to them on the trade market?

Jets land Kyler Murray in trade proposal for late round pick swap

In a trade idea proposed by ESPN's Bill Barnwell, the New York Jets would land Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in a relatively cheap trade.

Barnwell's deal sees the Jets send out a 2026 fourth-round pick in exchange for Murray and a 2026 sixth-round pick, taking on the remainder of the former No. 1 overall pick's five-year, $230.5 million deal he signed in 2022.

"Swapping a Day 3 selection for a quarterback who ranked 14th in Total QBR over the past two years won't hurt an organization that has a ton of draft capital after the Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner trades. Jets fans would love to add their quarterback of the future after seeing Sam Darnold thrive in Seattle, but they also haven't had even league-average QB play in a season since Josh McCown put together a solid year for the Jets in 2017."

Bill Barnwell

There's a lot of hesitation surrounding a potential Murray-Jets pairing. For whatever reason, the Cardinals quarterback has never been able to put it all together on the field despite having all the talent in the world.

He's got a cannon for an arm, is still one of the more athletic quarterbacks in the league, but fans and analysts alike wonder if his lack of work ethic off the field contributes to his uneven play.

Even Aaron Glenn, back when he was still the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, acknowledged that the perceived notion of Murray not doing his homework in the film room is a problem.

But to Barnwell's point, Murray would at least provide the Jets with average quarterback play, something fans have only gotten once or twice in the past decade under Josh McCown and one season of Aaron Rodgers.

Murray likely isn't the Jets' No. 1 option in terms of who they want their starting quarterback to be next season, but beggars can't be choosers. If they can't land a veteran option in free agency, Murray may have to be the avenue they go down.

Despite the albatross of the contract they're inheriting, it's possible that getting a motivated Murray provides more upside than any of the other options out there available to them.