Will the Jets make a play for Brendan Sorsby?

Will the – The New York Jets, still without a year-to-year franchise quarterback since Joe Namath, are being discussed as a potential fit for Brendan Sorsby. ESPN’s Rich Cimini weighs the odds of interest, including a claim that someone close to the situation doubts the

When the Jets watch other teams find their quarterback for the long haul, the frustration has a familiar edge. New York hasn’t had a true year-to-year franchise quarterback since Joe Namath, and the search has been a loop of promising names that never quite turned into the answer.

Brendan Sorsby is now part of that conversation—enough to raise the practical question: will the Jets make a play?

Rich Cimini of ESPN took a look at whether the Jets will try to make a play for Sorsby. In Cimini’s piece. one person close to the situation doubted the Jets’ interest. suggesting. “they don’t want to deal with it.” That sentence lands like a warning. not a verdict. because the Jets’ quarterback history is littered with “avoidance” strategies that didn’t work.

The argument on Sorsby’s side is straightforward. The Jets shouldn’t dismiss him as a burden. They should do a full evaluation—of the player himself. but also of the situation that led to the forfeiture of his NCAA eligibility. From there, the hard part starts: making an assessment of the likelihood of a relapse.

The stakes aren’t theoretical for a franchise that has swung and missed publicly. The quarterback list reads like a record of what didn’t stick: Geno Smith, Christian Hackenberg, Sam Darnold, and Zach Wilson.

Cimini’s article also includes a question from an unnamed evaluator: “If he’s a clear-cut first-rounder, why didn’t he come out [in the April draft]?” The answer presented is that the gap between being a generic first-round pick and one of the top selections in the draft is massive.

In 2025, the first player taken in the first round—Titans quarterback Cam Ward—signed a $48 million contract. By contrast, the last player taken in round one—the Chiefs tackle Josh Simmons—signed a $14 million contract. That contrast matters because it changes how quickly a player’s stock converts into earning power. and it frames why a straightforward “why not sooner?” question doesn’t automatically settle the debate about Sorsby’s pro value.

For Sorsby specifically, the argument centers on what another year of football could have produced. Another year would have meant getting paid something in the range of $4 million to $6 million for 2026. It would also have given him an opportunity to emerge from the college football season as next year’s Fernando Mendoza.

After that, the timing becomes the real constraint. At this point. why Sorsby didn’t enter the April draft “doesn’t matter.” The claim is that he’ll be in the supplemental draft—assuming his application is formally accepted—and that the possibility of him becoming the guy makes the time and effort worth it for any team without a franchise quarterback.

There’s also a very Jets-shaped irony to the whole scenario: after decades of looking for the quarterback they’ve been coveting. the team now faces a prospect whose path to the draft isn’t the usual straight line. And the question isn’t just whether Sorsby can play—it’s whether New York will be willing to “deal with it. ” evaluate the risk. and decide the reward is still worth pursuing.

The Jets have lived with the cost of moving too cautiously and too late. If they’re going to change the ending this time, they’ll have to answer it themselves: whether Brendan Sorsby is a workable bet—talent included—or a complication they can’t stomach.

New York Jets Brendan Sorsby Rich Cimini quarterback search supplemental draft NCAA eligibility Geno Smith Christian Hackenberg Sam Darnold Zach Wilson Cam Ward Josh Simmons Fernando Mendoza