The New York Jets have an opportunity to bolster the QB room.
Former NFL player turned analyst Leger Douzable said, “The Jets should try and shop a 6th-round pick to the [Pittsburgh] Steelers for Mason Rudolph.”
Rudolph, 31, is listed at 6-foot-5 and weighs 235 pounds. He entered the league as the No. 76 overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Across his eight years at the NFL level, he has appeared in 34 games and has made 19 starts. With those opportunities, Rudolph has completed 64.4% of his passes, has thrown for 4,925 passing yards, and has a 30 touchdown to 22 interception ratio.
Jets Are Likely Going to Add a Quarterback to the Rotation
On the initial 53-man roster, the Jets have two quarterbacks: Geno Smith and rookie Cade Klubnik.
“Klubnik ultimately ‘won’ the backup job behind Smith, though Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook didn’t exactly provide stiff competition. It’s still possible (if not likely) that the Jets add another quarterback here — who it is will determine if Klubnik maintains his hold on the No. 2 job. I’d be concerned if the Jets actually had to turn to Klubnik early this season in the event that Smith was injured, both for Klubnik’s development and for the short-term performance of the offense,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic wrote.
Rosenblatt mentioned some options “could be available via trade — particularly from the handful of teams that kept four quarterbacks on their active roster.”
That list includes the Steelers, who kept all four of their quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Drew Allar, Will Howard, and Rudolph.
“This marks the first time [Mike] McCarthy has kept four quarterbacks on his active roster entering Week 1 of a season,” ESPN’s Brooke Pryor revealed.
Another Path Is the Waiver Wire
The Jets and the other 31 teams in the NFL began submitting their waiver claims on Sunday, August 30 after the initial 53-man rosters were set at 6 p.m. ET.
“The end of the claim period is Monday at 1 p.m. ET. After that, teams can sign players to their practice squad. The Jets hold the second slot in the waiver-wire priority, which is based on last season’s record. They will hold that spot until the Tuesday of Week 4 (9/28) of the regular season. At that point, the priority will match the NFL standings,” the Jets stated in a press release.
If the Jets pursue that path, they won’t have to give up any draft capital. That’s good news. However, the bad news is the pool isn’t as deep as many expected.
“Not as many QBs were released as expected, as a handful of teams are carrying four (for now),” ESPN’s Rich Cimini posted on X.
The most interesting potential waiver wire claim for the Jets is Will Levis. He was waived by the Tennessee Titans over the weekend. There is intrigue because the Jets play the Titans in Week 1 of the 2026 season. Plus, he is a physically gifted player, but he hasn’t been able to reach his full potential at the NFL level.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY said the Jets should add Levis to the roster.
Jets Urged to Flip Draft Pick for 6-Foot-5 Veteran QB