The New York Jets have the longest active NFL playoff drought, and that will almost certainly continue until they can find a suitable quarterback to helm the franchise. But is the Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray that quarterback?
After a season in which they went 3-14 and ranked dead-last in passing yards and net yards per attempt, second-to-last in passing touchdowns, and bottom 10 in passing attempts and interceptions, New York needs a noticeable upgrade at the quarterback position. And it just so happens that Murray, whose injuries and work habits have led to many questions, could be available if the Jets are interested.
How much Murray is worth at age 28 and with a $52.7 million cap hit this season remains to be seen, but ESPN's Bill Barnwell is suggesting a relatively low-risk trade for the Cardinals QB. The deal, he says, would be Murray and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick going to the Jets in exchange for a 2026 fourth-rounder.
“The Jets might not be [a Murray-level QB away from competing], either, but their head coach is more incentivized to be aggressive,” Barnwell wrote. “Aaron Glenn turned over nearly his entire staff after a disappointing first year, when the Jets were abysmal on both sides of the football. For most of the first half of the season, Glenn couldn't decide whether to bench Justin Fields, and when Fields went down with an injury, the results from Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook weren't much better. Glenn could be coaching for his job in Year 2, and though he will trust his ability to turn around the defense, finding a veteran quarterback who can win a few games is critical.
“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. With nearly $79 million in cap space, the Jets also have plenty of money to spend.”
The Jets haven't made the postseason in 15 years, which is nearly double the length of the next-longest active drought. A big reason for that is they haven't hit on a quarterback in a long, long time.
No QB has started more than parts of three seasons since Chad Pennington lasted six seasons from 2002 to 2007. Since then, New York swung and missed on — or bungled due to incompetence, depending on who you ask — Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, and Zach Wilson. Additionally, the team has relied on aging veterans, including McCown, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Joe Flacco, and Aaron Rodgers, to similarly disappointing results.
At his best, Murray is a premier, dual-threat quarterback who earned back-to-back Pro Bowl honors and was named Rookie of the Year back in 2019. But he has played just one full season since 2020, with two of the last three years featuring a combined 13 games played.
Murray, who signed a $230.5 million extension with Arizona in 2022, could be cut or traded next offseason for a dead cap penalty of $7.2 million. Otherwise, he will carry a cap hit of $43.5 million during the season in which he turns 30.
