Content available exclusively for subscribers
After the game, Aaron Glenn praised his players’ effort.
“I thought the guys again played hard,” Glenn said.
This is true.
The Jets played hard today. The play hard every week.
It’s not an effort issue.
It’s a talent, especially on defense (all three levels) and at QB (the most important position in the sport).
We all know the Jets have a ton of draft capital in 2026, and watching this team the last few weeks, in blowout losses to Miami, Jacksonville and New Orleans, you could make a strong argument that trading up for a QB might be a mistake.
Yes, they need a QB, but is there a slam-dunk franchise QB in this draft?
Indiana’s Francisco Mendoza?
Who knows?
I just remembered this, in thinking about Mendoza – before the 2025 draft, Vic Carucci and I had Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke on our radio show on SiriusXM.
The reason we wanted him on was that we thought he could be a sleeper second or third day QB, perhaps like a Brock Purdy.
He went 10-1 in 2024 at Indiana, completing 70 percent of his passes, and tossing 27 TDs to just four picks.
He went in the seventh round. He is currently on the NFI list in San Francisco.
What is my point? How much of the success of Mendoza and Rourke was the brilliance of Indiana coach Curt Cignetti?
So the Jets need to be really careful, and not trade up a bunch of valuable draft capital to move up to get a QB in a year when there might not be an elite prospect.
They have four premium picks:
- Round 1, Pick 7
- Round 1, Pick 18 (via Indianapolis)
- Round 2, Pick 38
- Round 2, Pick 47 (via Dallas)
After watching the Jets getting blown out three weeks in a row, and not showing any progress aside from special teams, you could make a strong argument that they should stay put in these slots and pick four starters.
Hey, maybe one of these slots could be a QB – let’s say Alabama’s Ty Simpson in the second round. I’m just spit-balling here.
But this idea of trading a bunch of draft capital to move up to get Mendoza, seems like fool’s gold right now.
They have SO many needs – maybe just stay put and pick four really good football players.
You can pick a QB in one of those slots, or maybe kick the can to the following year, but the Jets are in dire need of more difference-makers.
Two ones and two twos can help you fix this . . .
The Jets struggled mightily running the ball today.
Part of it was New Orleans loading the box with eight guys, but another issue was very creative run defense strategy by the Saints’ defensive coordinator, Brandon Staley.
Jets center Josh Myers told JC after the game that the Saints changed their run defense looks in all four quarters, which created an extra challenge for the Jets.
“The plan to stop the run changed quarter to quarter,” Myers said.
But one thing that didn’t change quarter to quarter was a loaded box because the Saints didn’t fear what UDFA rookie QB Brady Cook could do to them through the air.
It was “checkdown city” all day with myriad screens, short route routes, and bootleg plays where Cook rolled to the right and there was never anybody open, because the Saints were city on these bootlegs to the right, know the Jets were going to run these things to cut Cook’s reads in half, only forcing him to read the right side of the field on these calls.
Cook is a terrific young man and is giving it his best shot, but you would be hard-pressed to find many scouts around the league who would have thought this guy was going to start games as a rookie in the NFL.
He was sacked eight times today, and the Saints have an okay pass rush, but not elite. He was often holding the ball too long.
Don’t buy for one second that Cooks is playing due to the common coach saying that he gives the Jets “the best chance to win.”
Even with his shortcomings, Justin Fields probably gives them a better chance to win, as does Tyrod Taylor.
He’s clearly playing because they want to see him in action to help them with their decision-making process moving forward.
Some think something else is at work. I ran into a huge Jets fan the other day who also works as a sports radio producer.
He feels the Jets are starting Cook because they are tanking to get a higher draft pick.
I can’t go there. I’m a reporter, and I have no evidence to back that up.
But some would argue it certainly looked that way the last couple of weeks.
I’m not going there, but some clearly are . . .
December 21, 2025
Premium will return by 9:30 pm (or sooner) on Monday
