Jets Should Prioritize Kyler Murray Contract Over Geno Smith amid Latest NFL Rumors

The New York Jets are running out of options fast at quarterback.

The AFC East franchise doesn't have many signal-callers to choose from if it wants to go the veteran route at the position.

Kyler Murray is still available, and he is worth pursuing so that the Jets have the best opportunity to win in 2026.

ESPN's Rich Cimini said he expected the Jets to have "some level of interest" in Murray prior to the start of the legal tampering window.

According to SNY's Connor Hughes, the Jets "want" Geno Smith, Carson Wentz or both to fill their quarterback room.

All three options come with significant flaws, but at least with Murray, the Jets could try to re-discover the playmaker that showed off his talents before injuries struck him with the Arizona Cardinals.

After all, we're still talking about a quarterback that totaled over 4,400 total yards during the 2024 season.

At 28, Murray has the potential to underdog a career resurgence at another franchise, similar to what Sam Darnold's gone through over the last two years in Minnesota and Seattle.

The Jets, quite frankly, have nothing to lose in a potential pursuit of Murray. They owe it to Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and others to put a functional starting quarterback on the roster.

Smith and/or Wentz feel like last-ditch options the Jets are willing to settle on if Murray passes them up. Neither should be considered in any scenario.

Smith is 35, had a 1,500-yard drop in passing yards from 2024 to 2025 and threw 32 interceptions over the last two seasons in Seattle and Las Vegas.

The former Jets quarterback will just bring more mediocre play to the position and likely improve the team by maybe one or two wins.

Wentz is a career backup at this rate. He'd be a decent No. 2 option, but he can't be the lone signal-caller the Jets end up with in free agency.

There's always the chance that the Jets take a risk on someone like Ty Simpson or Garrett Nussmeier in the 2026 NFL draft, but the No. 2 pick is too high for both players right now, especially with all the defensive talent at the top of the draft class.

They could select Simpson, Nussmeier or Carson Beck with a later pick, but a quarterback draft selection won't have the same impact as Dante Moore would have had if the Oregon quarterback elected to enter the 2026 draft.

Murray is the Jets' best option, and he should be the player they push for to at least bring some offseason momentum to a franchise that desperately needs it.