NFL Draft analyst proposes Jets consider two risky trades for backup quarterbacks

The New York Jets are in the market for a quarterback once again, which seems to be their lot in life. However, considering the dearth of legitimate options for the passer-needy franchise in the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency, Darren Mougey will need to get very creative as he tries to find his next signal-caller.

Even after the Justin Fields debacle, the idea of searching for a young quarterback who ran out of road in his past destination might be more attractive than signing a veteran as a one-year stopgap. Daniel Jeremiah has identified a pair of former Stanford quarterbacks that former Palo Alto head coach Frank Reich could be attracted to.

In a pre-Combine call with assembled media, Jeremiah listed Philadelphia Eagles backup Tanner McKee and Houston Texans backup Davis Mills as two players who could be traded for and give the Jets some sort of spark in the 2026 season.

Daniel Jeremiah wants Jets to trade for Tanner McKee, Davis Mills

When comparing their styles of play, McKee and Fields might be the most different players in the league. The lumbering 6-foot-6 McKee is not going to make plays with his legs, but he does have enough of an arm to get teams interested in what he could do when given the reins as a starting quarterback.

McKee has started two games in Philadelphia, winning one and losing one while throwing five touchdowns against one interception. There are encouraging signs, but with two games and a handful of preseason action to go on, McKee could just as easily crash and burn as a starter.

Mills was a starter for two years in Houston, as the former third-round pick and 5-star recruit went 5-19-1 while throwing 33 touchdowns against 25 interceptions. Mills may have had precious little to work with, but there's a reason C.J. Stroud was drafted and No. 10 was relegated to a backup role for the last three seasons.

However, Mills did win all three of his starts this year while Stroud was injured, throwing just one interception in the process. While both he and McKee would be dart throws, and Mills is the more expensive option, he has a longer history of success as a spot starter at the NFL level.

No quarterback option is going to be a slam dunk for the Jets in 2026, but both of these former Cardinal signal-callers have at least a hope of eventually becoming something more than a one-year stopgap if they mesh well with what Reich is going to install on the offensive side of the ball.