The Minnesota Vikings have a quarterback crisis.
And it could lead to them dialing the New York Jets’ number.
The lay of the land in Minneapolis
With starter Kyler Murray sidelined in Week 9 due to a hamstring strain, the 6-1 Vikings started Carson Wentz on Monday Night Football against the 6-1 Buffalo Bills. Despite a strong effort from their league-best defense, the Vikings never had a real chance to take down Buffalo, as Wentz delivered a stinker of the highest order under the prime-time lights (8 of 25 for 81 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions).
Buffalo triumphed, 23-6, and the Vikings are left searching for answers under center as they try not to waste the efforts of a defense that is playing some of the NFL’s most dominant football in recent memory.
While Murray’s injury isn’t serious, he was enough of a problem for the Vikings when healthy, even if he never stooped to Wentz’s lows. Minnesota has scored a league-low 11 offensive touchdowns, and five of those came in the season opener against Green Bay, which Wentz played the majority of. Over five full games under Murray’s lead, the Vikings went 4-1, but they scored just six offensive touchdowns.
The Vikings are allowing 14.5 points per game, which, if maintained for the full season, would be the NFL’s best mark since the 2019 New England Patriots (14.1), who went on to win the Super Bowl. Before that, you have to go back to the 2013 “Legion of Boom” Seattle Seahawks (14.4), who also won the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Brian Flores’ unit is championship-caliber, and Minnesota is at risk of wasting it due to putrid offensive production that can be largely blamed on the play under center. Now sitting at 6-2 with a potentially historic defense and arguably league-worst quarterback play, the Vikings are about as desperate for a trade-deadline quarterback move as a team could possibly be.
Enter the New York Jets?
Why the Vikings could pony up for Geno Smith
Minnesota will be dialing the number of every team with a conceivably available starter-level quarterback. You can be certain that the Los Angeles Chargers (Justin Herbert), Baltimore Ravens (Lamar Jackson), and Indianapolis Colts (Daniel Jones), among others, will hear from them.
The Jets, though, are an interesting candidate.
At 2-7, the Jets are in the business of selling; they already dealt veteran safety Andre Cisco. Usually, though, when a team is 2-7, it’s because they don’t have a quarterback that anybody else would want.
But the Jets find themselves in a unique position. They are the rare 2-7 team with a quality starting quarterback: Geno Smith.
New York’s losing has occurred despite an impressive season from Smith. He ranks seventh among qualified quarterbacks in passer rating (100.5), 15th in net yards per pass attempt (6.2), 16th in adjusted EPA per play (0.08), 14th in passing DVOA (3.8%), and eighth in Pro Football Focus’ overall grade (81.1). Simply put, he’s played like a bona fide above-average starting quarterback.
Smith, 36, will be a free agent after the season, and with a measly base salary of $3.3 million, a team trading for him would only be on the hook for $1.65 million. That could make him an enticing low-risk rental for the Vikings as they look to maximize a short-term window, as well as appealing trade bait for the Jets as they look to stockpile long-term assets for their rebuild.
For Minnesota, Smith is about as strong of a trade target as they may find. Herbert is a high-ceiling, low-floor gamble, as he possesses franchise quarterback upside, but has been brutal this season, and carries an enormous contract. Jackson is currently injured and also comes with a massive financial commitment. Jones is coming off an Achilles tear and has not been the same player.
Smith is a healthy, cheap veteran starter playing at an above-average level. With the way their defense is playing, it’s easy to envision the Vikings going deep into the playoffs with him, and they don’t have to handcuff their long-term cap picture to give him a shot.
Minnesota should be eager to pony up a generous trade package for Smith. He may be their best chance at making the most of the 2026 season.
But should the Jets bite?
Well, besides perhaps Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, no NFL player is untouchable. They all have a price; Smith is included in that. So, conceivably, there must be an offer that the Jets could not refuse for their starting quarterback.
What would that price be, though?
While trading Smith makes perfect sense from a Madden Franchise Mode lens, it seems foolish from a real-life lens.
The Jets may not be going to the playoffs this year, but they have a roster full of young players who need to be evaluated, particularly at the offensive skill positions. Smith is doing a phenomenal job of allowing those players to be evaluated. He gives his playmakers plenty of chances to make plays through his aggressiveness into one-on-one coverage and his top-tier accuracy.
Smith is also a positive presence in the locker room, through his veteran experience and palpable intensity. These young players need to be surrounded by a vet who isn’t content with the Jets’ losing culture.
Sure, the Jets have a fourth-round rookie quarterback in Cade Klubnik who could stand to be evaluated, but the reality is that Klubnik is highly unlikely to become a quality NFL starter. His realistic ceiling is a reliable backup, and the Jets don’t need to throw away the best starting quarterback they’ve had in at least a decade just to see if Klubnik can be a useful backup.
Starting Klubnik would sabotage the development of the Jets’ offensive players. Young weapons like Omar Cooper Jr., Adonai Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor, and Braelon Allen would no longer get the quality reps they’ve been enjoying all year. In all likelihood, it would be the December 2025 Jets all over again, in which a helpless young quarterback makes the entire offensive operation a lost cause.
Most importantly, though, Smith is on track to earn the Jets’ 2027 starting job. He has played well enough and shown strong enough leadership to build a case as New York’s ideal bridge quarterback in front of a drafted signal-caller in 2027, similar to the Las Vegas Raiders’ setup with Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.
Smith is a free agent, but the Jets can get ahead of re-signing him if they keep him around. If they trade him, that bridge will be burned, and the Jets will have to pray they can find a bridge starter who is half as good.
All things considered, trading away Smith would take a hefty toll on the Jets for both the short term and the long term. So, what trade package is worth that toll?
It’s important to realize that if the Vikings come calling, the Jets would have all the leverage. Minnesota is extremely desperate. New York might have a chance to squeeze an exorbitant package out of them.
The most comparable trade package for this scenario is Smith himself. Last year, the Raiders sent a 2025 third-round pick (No. 92) to the Seahawks for Smith, who was fresh off a three-season run of solid starting quarterback play. Smith is now two years older, with a poor 2025 season sandwiched in there, but his 2026 season has not been far off from the peaks of his early Seattle days.
Would a third-round pick be worth the trouble that would come with dealing Smith?
That seems like a safe no.
What if the Jets could squeeze a 2027 first-rounder out of the Vikings, though? That would bring them to an unfathomable four first-round picks in 2027.
It looks enticing, but once again, this is something that seems more plausible in Madden than in real life. In fact, the Jets already having three first-rounders only builds a case against trading Smith for a first-round pick.
New York is already flush with capital. They drafted three players in this year’s first round and can draft three more next year. Assets are not an issue for them. What matters now is actually developing the mass of young talent at their disposal.
That requires a strong culture and veteran players who can help facilitate the development of young talent. Smith checks both boxes. He is a respected, experienced leader with a winning attitude, and is a quality veteran passer who has already proven he can do an excellent job of allowing the Jets’ young weapons to grow. His presence is immensely valuable for the Jets, both over the next eight games and in 2027, assuming he would like to return.
As enticing as it may be to play Madden and capitalize on Minnesota’s desperation by turning Smith’s expiring contract into draft picks in a lost season—transforming the Jets’ 2027 war chest into something unprecedented—the real-life, human consequences of dealing Smith are too great for the Jets to entertain trading him, barring an astronomical offer from the Vikings.
