Only diehard Jets fans can name every starting quarterback since 1999

New York Jets fans have learned one seemingly ironclad rule over the last quarter-century: if a quarterback spends enough time on the roster, he will eventually start a game.

Since 1999, a whopping 27 different quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Jets. Some (not many!) were legitimate NFL-caliber starting quarterbacks. Others were more nondescript, appearing in the odd December game and now exist primarily to ruin your Sporcle score.

The quiz below challenges you to name every Jets starting quarterback from 1999 through the end of the 2025 season. Only the true diehards will likely be able to name all 27, but you'll be forgiven for missing a couple here and there.

After all, forgetting a few Jets quarterbacks is probably less a sign of poor memory and more a sign of a healthy and functioning defense mechanism. Consider it a good thing!

Can you name every Jets starting quarterback since 1999?

Aaron Rodgers starting all 17 games in 2024 should qualify as a statistical anomaly by Jets standards. It was the only season in the last decade in which the team did not have multiple quarterbacks start at least two games.

In fact, the Jets have started at least three different quarterbacks in six of the last 10 seasons. They have also done so in four of the last five, with 2024 serving as the lone exception.

Genuinely think about how absurd that is. If you are a quarterback employed by the New York Jets organization during the regular season, you have had over a 65% chance of starting at least one game since 2016.

The only quarterbacks employed by the Jets over the last decade who never started a game for the team are Christian Hackenberg, Davis Webb, David Fales, James Morgan, Brett Rypien, Jordan Travis, Adrian Martinez, and Hendon Hooker. Every other quarterback under contract with the Jets during that time made at least one start.

These forgotten Jets quarterbacks will destroy your score

Most fans will, of course, remember the major names. Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington, Brett Favre, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers shouldn't cause too many problems.

But the quiz becomes considerably more sinister once it reaches the depths of Jets quarterback lore. Rick Mirer started six games in 1999. Quincy Carter started three in 2004. Brooks Bollinger started nine games the following year, which practically qualifies as a full era in Jets quarterback history.

Then there's Greg McElroy, who received one start in 2012. Luke Falk started twice (!) in 2019. Tim Boyle somehow started two games in 2023. Brady Cook is the newest addition, miraculously starting four games in 2025.

Then there are the quarterbacks who started during multiple separate Jets stints. Vinny Testaverde returned in 2005, five years after starting all 16 games for the team. Trevor Siemian started in both 2019 and 2023. Joe Flacco appeared on the list in three consecutive seasons from 2020 through 2022. Geno Smith will soon join that illustrious list.

This is how the Jets get you. Remembering the quarterback is only half the battle. Your brain must also accept that he actually started a game for them. Anyone who named all 27 without help truly deserves some form of compensation — and possibly an appointment with a therapist.

I tried naming every Jets starting quarterback since 1999!

I actually put myself through the same exercise in a recent video posted to The Jet Press YouTube channel. Some names came to mind immediately, but others were buried in a part of my brain that had been sealed off for my own protection.

Watch my attempt below and see whether you were able to beat my score.

How many did you get? Follow The Jet Press on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, subscribe to us on YouTube, and let us know how many names your brain successfully rescued from the Jets quarterback abyss.

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