Sportsnaut
The New York Jets have searched for a franchise quarterback for decades since Joe Namath retired, and after an 0-6 start, Gang Green holds the inside track for the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. If they land that coveted selection, an ESPN draft analyst predicts they’ll draft a signal-caller from one of college football’s best teams.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid projects the Jets taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has led the Hoosiers to a 6-0 record and No. 3 Associated Press ranking.
“The Jets are 0-6, and their offense is among the NFL’s worst. Justin Fields hasn’t worked out to this point, and New York needs more than just a franchise quarterback. It needs a jolt of optimism,” Reid writes. “Mendoza is a decisive pocket passer who has impressed this season after transferring to Indiana from Cal, throwing 17 touchdown passes to two interceptions with a QBR of 84.2 that ranks seventh in the FBS. His ability to throw precise, on-time passes suits a Jets offense that is predicated on timing and accuracy.”
The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract with $30 million guaranteed this past offseason after he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 4-2 record in six starts in 2024. But that deal hasn’t paid off as the offense has been futile.
Fields is 29th in both passing yards (799) and touchdowns (four) and has been sacked 19 times, including nine in Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos in London. The Jets’ offense ranks 28th in total yards (279.8 per game), dead last in passing yards (144.2) and 25th in points (20.5).
With Fields clearly not the answer, the Jets will most likely cut ties with him and resume their seemingly endless hunt for a franchise quarterback. Since 2020, the Jets have used nine different starting quarterbacks.
Mendoza has transformed into one of college football’s elite quarterbacks and is a Heisman favorite with Indiana sitting at No. 3 in the country. He leads the Big Ten with 17 touchdown passes while completing 71.2% of his passes for 1,423 yards. Could he be the quarterback who finally leads the Jets back to glory? Only time will tell.
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