Jets Had Intense Meeting With Texas Tech QB Behren Morton

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Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton throwing around the football at the 2026 NFL Combine.

The New York Jets need a long-term quarterback. Everyone knows that. What everyone doesn’t know is which QB the team will add.

A mystery candidate appears to be firmly in the mix. Texas Tech’s Behren Morton revealed to Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated how much work the Jets have done on him ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

“It’s been a fun, busy process. It’s a good problem to have. I had a formal interview with the entire New York Jets staff before my Pro Day. We did some install to learn the offense. We did the install with their GM, head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach. That was super cool to do,” Morton told Melo for SI.

“I also recently got back from a bunch of Top 30 visits. I visited the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, and the Jets as well. It’s been a fun process. I saw some incredible facilities and met some incredible coaches,” Morton added.

An Interesting QB Prospect

Morton, 24, is listed at 6-foot-2 and weighs 221 pounds.

He spent all five of his collegiate seasons at Texas Tech. During that stretch, he appeared in 45 games. With those opportunities, Morton completed 62.8% of his passes, threw for 8,989 passing yards, and had a 71 touchdown to 28 interception ratio.

“Morton needs to develop better passing consistency to make up for his lack of physical upside and to stand out in an NFL camp. He projects as a developmental backup in the NFL,” Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote in “The Beast.”

Dane Brugler of The Athletic projects him to be an undrafted free agent.

One of the most concerning things about Morton is his questionable injury history. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein said he has missed time in multiple seasons.

Jets Appear Likely to Throw a Random Dart

On a conference call with the media, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said “all signs” point to the Jets waiting until the 2027 NFL Draft to select their quarterback of the future.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini posted on social media, “In other words, [Jeremiah] would be surprised if they take QB Ty Simpson at [pick No.] 16.”

That feels like where the wind is currently blowing.

ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote in a recent column that he is “doubtful that the Jets will make an early investment at quarterback in this draft. Perhaps they really love one of the non-Mendoza quarterbacks and want to take the swing on Simpson, Nussmeier, or Beck. Given the patience general manager Darren Mougey has exhibited so far at the helm, I think a starting job for Geno Smith and an exploratory, late-round stab at a developmental QB make far more sense.”

Last year, the Jets punted at quarterback during the draft. Immediately following the conclusion of that draft, they worked quickly to sign undrafted free agent Brady Cook.

They could copy-and-paste that strategy in a few weeks with Morton if they want to go down that path again. It’s a low-risk versus high-reward type of proposition. If it doesn’t work out, you didn’t invest much anyway. If it does, you got a steal.

Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.