The New York Jets’ schedule is set, and they are slated to face a variety of different quarterbacks.
Some are among the league’s best, others are still developing, and some are arguably beneath starter-caliber.
Without further ado, let’s rank the 14 signal-callers Gang Green will face this season.
14. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
After being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, Cam Ward still has a lot to prove.
During his rookie campaign, Ward led Tennessee to a 3-14 record while completing just 59.8% of his passes for 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Ward ranked last among qualified quarterbacks in yards per attempt (5.9) and QBR (33.2).
His situation, though, was far from ideal. In addition to having a weak supporting cast, Titans head coach Brian Callahan was fired six weeks into the season. That is detrimental for a young QB regardless of where they were drafted.
Tennessee has undergone a complete reset around Ward. Former Jets HC Robert Saleh is the new head coach, while former New York Giants HC Brian Daboll was hired to serve as Saleh’s offensive coordinator, a strong addition.
While Ward could certainly improve in his sophomore season, he needs to prove it first. Since the Jets are getting him in Week 1, Ward won’t be able to show tangible progress from his poor rookie season before kickoff.
13. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett is a high-end backup. He is the kind of quarterback who can steady an offense for a few games, but won’t raise the ceiling in any way.
Brissett can protect the football, as he boasts the lowest interception rate in NFL history (1.4% of pass attempts), but it comes at the cost of moving the ball. For his career, he is averaging just 6.6 yards per pass attempt.
As an extremely safe game manager, Brissett shouldn’t pose a threat to the Jets’ defense as long as they generate some pressure and take away the play-action game.
12. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Malik Willis is one of the most interesting QBs the Jets will face this season, and they will play him twice.
After struggling throughout his first two NFL seasons with the Titans, Willis was an elite backup with the Packers over the last two seasons, leading them to a 2-1 record in three starts while completing 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also contributed 260 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 42 rushes.
The rebuilding Dolphins took a massive gamble on him, committing to him as their QB1 and handing him a lucrative contract worth $67 million over three years ($45 million guaranteed). Miami is betting that Willis can maintain the numbers he posted over a small sample in Green Bay’s offense, and they’re asking him to do it with a much weaker supporting cast.
This will be a huge test for the Liberty product. For now, the sample size isn’t large enough to say he is a bona fide QB1.
11. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
It remains unknown who the Browns will trot out in Week 1. Recent reports, however, indicate Deshaun Watson is the favorite.
If so, Week 1 would mark his first start since October 2024. That is a long time between starts, and when he was on the field during the 2024 season, he didn’t look like a starter.
Watson’s 21.0 QBR was the worst in the NFL. He threw for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions on a 63.4% completion rate, while averaging just 5.3 yards per pass attempt.
Furthermore, he held the ball for much too long, as his average of 3.05 seconds to throw ranked fourth-highest among qualified QBs. The former Houston Texan was liable for many sacks, with a 28.0% pressure-to-sack rate, ranking third-highest.
While the Browns revamped their offense this offseason, Watson does not seem capable of steering the ship.
10. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
As we’ve seen in recent years, Kevin O’Connell is a quarterback-friendly coach.
From Daniel Jones to Sam Darnold to Kirk Cousins, O’Connell has done a tremendous job of helping struggling QBs get on the right track. In KOC’s system, Kyler Murray will look to do the same after dealing with injuries and poor play in Arizona over the past few seasons.
The chances of Murray at the very least being a serviceable QB in Minnesota are high, slotting him at No. 10 on this list.
9. Kirk Cousins/Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
While Kirk Cousins is favored to start for the Raiders in Week 1, there is a chance that No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will be their starter by the time they play the Jets in Week 8.
Very similar to O’Connell with the Vikings, first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is an offensive mastermind. He is fresh off winning a Super Bowl as the Seattle Seahawks’ OC, calling one of the league’s most successful offenses.
Given that, there is a high floor for the Raiders’ quarterbacks this season.
8. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love is one of the league’s most polarizing signal-callers.
Some view him as a top-five QB, while other pundits view him as a fringe top-10 guy. Ultimately, I think the top eight-to-five range makes sense for Love as it pertains to QBs the Jets will face this year.
The main reason he isn’t higher on the list is his inconsistency. Some weeks, Love looks the part of a top QB, while other times, his accuracy can’t get on point, and he puts the ball in harm’s way.
While interceptions weren’t as glaring an issue for Love in 2025, tossing just six, he threw a combined 27 from 2023-24, including 14 in 2024 and 13 in 2023.
The talent is undeniable. Consistency, though, is where Love needs to improve.
7. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
While Jared Goff isn’t the league’s flashiest quarterback, he does the simple things well and is incredible at commanding the Lions’ offense and getting the ball out quickly.
Last season, he ranked second among QBs in passing yards (4,564) and touchdowns (34) while averaging 7.9 yards per attempt, tied with Josh Allen for the fifth-best mark.
The major question surrounding Goff and the unit, though, concerns the play-calling. Drew Petzing will serve as the team’s OC for the 2026 season after they went one-and-done with John Morton following Ben Johnson’s promotion to the Chicago Bears’ head coaching job.
6. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix is the perfect quarterback for Sean Payton’s play-calling and the Broncos’ offense, evidenced by Nix leading Denver to the playoffs in each of his first two NFL seasons.
In some weeks, he produces gaudy numbers, while flying under the radar in others. However, his career record of 24-10 speaks for itself. He can also make plays under pressure, as his 31 big-time throws were the second most in the league last season.
When facing Nix, the Jets also have to worry about his legs. He is an athletic player who extends plays and can take off at any point, logging 385 rushing yards, the ninth-most among quarterbacks in 2025.
Similar to Goff, it will be interesting to see how he fares with Davis Webb calling plays this season instead of Payton.
5. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
After a rough rookie season in a difficult situation with the Bears, Caleb Williams took a substantial second-year leap under Ben Johnson’s guidance. He ranked seventh in passing yards (3,942), sixth in passing touchdowns (27), and sixth in big-time throws (28).
More importantly, though, he looked far more poised. His pocket movement, accuracy, and overall playmaking skills improved drastically in Year 2. Even when plays broke down, Williams was consistently able to extend drives and create off structure.
While there is certainly a chance that the Bears as a team could regress in the win-loss column this season, as our Michael Nania noted, Williams’ production ranked among the league’s best last season, and he had that “it” factor when he needed to make clutch plays.
If Williams continues on this trajectory, he could begin to enter conversations as one of the league’s top quarterbacks.
4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Few quarterbacks in the sport present the raw talent that Justin Herbert does.
Since entering the league, Herbert has consistently looked the part of a franchise quarterback, thanks to his arm strength and pocket presence. In the regular season, he is one of the NFL’s most productive quarterbacks. Year after year, he has piled up elite numbers while keeping LA competitive despite consistent coaching turnover and iffy roster construction.
Still, he is haunted by his reputation in the postseason.
Herbert has yet to win a playoff game while making it to the dance twice. First, in 2023 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he and the Chargers embarrassingly squandered a 27-point lead. Then, in January, they were blown out by the Houston Texans, 32-12.
The Jets won’t be facing Herbert in the playoffs, though (for now, at least). He is, without a doubt, one of the most talented signal callers the Jets will face this season.
The biggest question facing Herbert in 2026 is his playoff resume.
3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2025 was not very kind to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
While leading KC to a grim 6-8 record over his starts, he also tore his ACL, which is expected to leave him sidelined through the summer.
However, writing off a Mahomes comeback year this season would be foolish.
Mahomes is still a three-time Super Bowl MVP who is arguably the league’s best quarterback when healthy.
Most importantly, he has the benefit of the doubt. One rough season, especially one that was cut short due to injury, doesn’t erase what he has accomplished in recent years.
If he recovers smoothly from the ACL injury, there is every reason to believe that he can return to his normal form. And if that happens, the Jets’ defense will face a daunting challenge.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Following an outstanding sophomore season where he led the Patriots to the Super Bowl, Maye slots in at No. 2 on this list.
Simply put, his jump from Year 1 to Year 2 was massive.
After Maye flashed promise as a rookie in 12 starts with a far from ideal coaching staff and supporting cast, he blossomed in 2025, ranking among the NFL’s best in nearly every major passing category while finishing as the runner-up for the league’s MVP award.
What catches the eye most is how complete Maye is. Coming out of UNC, his calling card was beating defenses from the pocket with strong anticipation. Last season, though, he flashed his ability to consistently create with his legs once the pocket collapsed, rushing for 450 yards, four touchdowns, and 38 first downs.
Maye tormented the Jets last season, going 2-0 while completing 80.0% of his passes for 537 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Also, keep in mind, he’s still ascending.
Maye is entering just his third season in the league, and his second as the Patriots’ Week 1 starter. As much as Jets fans hate to hear it, the truth is that there is another franchise QB up in Foxborough.
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is the best quarterback Gang Green will face this season. And unfortunately for the Jets, they have to face Allen and the Bills twice each year.
After winning the league’s MVP award in 2024, Allen finished third in 2025, throwing for 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 579 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
When facing Allen, opposing teams often blitz him to try to remove his knack for extending plays. It didn’t work for the Jets last season, though, as he tore the team apart in both of his outings last season.
New York will face Allen and Buffalo in Weeks 10 and 18 this year.
The Jets’ revamped defense offers some reason for optimism, particularly if the front four can generate pressure without needing to blitz.
If the Jets want any chance of making noise in the AFC East, they need to shut down Allen in at least one of their two meetings, which will be highly challenging.
