After a failed Justin Fields attempt in 2025, the loudest question around MetLife Stadium is still the same. Who is taking snaps next? Aaron Glenn walks into this moment with Jets Nation restless, ownership under fire, and a roster that feels closer than the record says. Naturally, the quarterback search is heating up. Now, an ex-Jets voice has tossed two very specific names that Aaron Glenn should consider.

On The Dan Patrick Show, former New York Jets star Boomer Esiason made it clear the Jets need a new quarterback, period. That led Dan Patrick to float two names: Malik Willis or Mac Jones. Esiason, in response, named these 2 quarterbacks as potential targets for Aaron Glenn and elaborated on how likely the options were.

“They would have to trade for him [Jones]. He’s got another year in his contract with San Francisco,” Esiason said in response. “Malik will be an unrestricted free agent. I would hope that Green Bay would be able to keep him. But if I were him, I’d want to go be a starter somewhere. That’s not going to be the case, but I could see the Jets trying to use him as some sort of a gap year quarterback.”

In other words, that path to Jones would come at a cost. However, the tone shifted when the conversation moved to Willis. According to Esiason, the Packers’ backup might actually fit what Gang Green needs right now.

On paper, the numbers paint two very different paths for a Jets team desperate for stability. Mac Jones’ 97.4 passer rating and 2,151 yards point to something New York has lacked for years: controlled efficiency and the ability to keep an offense on schedule. Malik Willis, on the other hand, flashed electricity in a small sample, posting a 93.1 rating with three touchdowns in just four games, but that explosiveness came without long-term proof.

But why push a stopgap plan at all? Esiason explained it comes down to timing. He said the Jets “lucked out” when Dante Moore decided to return to Oregon. With Moore staying in school, Aaron Glenn cannot draft him even if they wanted to. Moore was once slotted right near the top. He had been projected as the second pick behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, with Gang Green expected to grab him. According to Esiason, that might not be a bad thing.

“I think the Jets lucked out,” Esiason said on Thursday’s episode. “I think Dante Moore is making a $50 million bet.  I had advised him on our show here in New York, please stay in school. You need more playing time. And I think he made the right decision. I’m sure he is gonna get a nice paycheck from Oregon, but he’s making a $50 million bet on himself, which is really quite amazing.”

The former Jets player argues that the Jets may have lost a talent, but they avoided rushing into another high-risk QB decision. Because of that, the draft picture changes fast. It now feels unlikely the Jets draft a quarterback at no. 2. Instead, they could grab the best player available. Better yet, Esiason believes trading would be smart. With two first-rounders and two seconds, they have options. But having options isn’t enough. For Esiason, the ownership is part of the problem.

Boomer Esiason criticizes the team’s ownership

The bluntest moment on the show came when Boomer Esiason went straight to the top. Asked why Gang Green always seems to miss, he did not hesitate.

“It always starts at ownership. That’s where it always starts,” he said.

For Jets Nation, that line hit close to home. He then walked everyone back to that electric night at MetLife Stadium, when Aaron Rodgers burst out with the flag on September 11. According to Esiason, that moment gave him chills and reminded the Big Apple what hope felt like, until everything flipped just a few plays later with the torn Achilles.

Esiason explained that the Jets briefly had it right. Rodgers returned and delivered a solid second season, steadying the locker room and the offense. However, things unraveled once Woody Johnson stepped in. As Boomer described, ownership involvement led to Rob Saleh getting fired, and chaos followed. From his point of view, Darren Mougey was left cleaning up the mess. Still, Esiason made it clear he respects the job Mougey has done stacking assets for a roster that badly needs direction. However, none of that fixes the biggest issue.

“Until they find a quarterback, they’re going to be stuck in neutral too, just like every other team that’s in their same situation,” he said.

Looking back, it is hard not to wonder. Gang Green finished 7-10 while cycling through Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian in 2023. Then in 2024, they stayed competitive most weeks with a four-time MVP running the offense. But still, they only managed 5 wins that year. For 2025, a winning season felt like a fair ask. But the downward decline continued into this year, as they only managed to win three times.

Jets’ past flashes of hope from Rodgers’ heroics to Fields’ trial highlight one truth: until they find a quarterback they can trust, Gang Green could remain stuck in neutral. All the picks and potential trades in the world can’t replace clarity under center.