FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — In his first personnel move as the New York Jets‘ coach, Aaron Glenn fired quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In his latest quarterback decision, Glenn benched Rodgers’ replacement, Justin Fields, signaling the most-likely end to the organization’s $30 million gambit after 10 games.

An NFL head coach doesn’t have an endless supply of mulligans, but Glenn will be afforded another swing to solve the riddle that has confounded the franchise since Joe Namath played his last game 50 years ago.

The next one is the big one. It will likely come in the form of a high draft pick (in 2026 or 2027) or perhaps a trade for a veteran.

What happened Monday — Glenn informed the team that Fields will be replaced by Tyrod Taylor — merely confirms the Jets (2-8) will have two lame-duck quarterbacks for the remainder of the season. It felt inevitable. Heck, Glenn almost made the switch four weeks ago after pulling Fields in a dreadful loss to the Carolina Panthers.

While New York will prepare for its final seven games, the long-term focus shifts to the offseason — when the Jets are expected to reset their quarterback depth chart. Yes, Fields is under contract for 2026 ($20 million salary, half of which is guaranteed), but it’s hard to imagine him as part of the plan. Taylor, 36, will be a free agent.

So there’s a good chance the Jets will start over, with a veteran and a rookie. They have a surplus of first-round draft picks, thanks to the recent Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades — two in 2026, three in 2027.

First, this question must be asked: Can the people who got it so wrong with Fields get it right with the next one?

Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will be charged with the big decision, just as Joe Douglas was in 2021 (Zach Wilson) and Mike Maccagnan was in 2018 (Sam Darnold).

Neither one worked out. The Jets have a history of that, in case you didn’t know. Glenn and Mougey will have a chance to change the trajectory of the franchise, which has suffered through 14 straight non-playoff seasons, in large part, because of quarterback instability.

At the time, their thinking on Fields went like this: With seasoning and sound coaching, he can outperform his spotty NFL track record and push his way into long-term conversation. Sure, they knew it was a game of chance, like hoping to find a winning lottery ticket, but they liked the risk-reward ratio.

“What were their options?” a longtime personnel executive said. “Rodgers didn’t make sense and Fields, was the arrow still pointing up? I think so, so I’m not going to beat them up for it.”

Before the season, Mougey subscribed to the belief that Fields could be the next Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold — late-developing former high picks.

“I do believe Justin can be one of those guys,” Mougey said.

Nevertheless, here we are.

Pairing Fields with Tanner Engstrand, an inexperienced offensive coordinator from a drop-back system, hasn’t worked out. That Fields has failed as the Jets’ starter isn’t blockbuster news (since 2021, he’s 33rd out of 38 qualified passers in Total QBR); that he failed so spectacularly is what should raise concern.

So now they have options galore, setting up what figures to be a multi-layered strategy that could stretch into 2027. Their avenues include:

The 2026 draft. Just the Jets’ luck, there’s no super-elite prospect among the top quarterbacks, according to talent evaluators.

Dante Moore (Oregon), Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Ty Simpson (Alabama) and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) are ranked first, second, fifth and 21st, respectively, on ESPN senior draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Big Board. They’re all underclassmen, and there’s a feeling that Moore and Simpson could return to school for more seasoning.

Mougey has scouted Mendoza and Moore in person this fall. In fact, he witnessed Mendoza’s dramatic, game-winning drive against Penn State. Currently, the Jets hold the fifth pick in the draft, but they have the draft capital to trade up if they’re smitten with one of the top prospects.

2026 free agency. Two words — slim pickings. The only starter eligible for free agency is Daniel Jones, who likely will be retained by the Indianapolis Colts. The rest are backup types; you’d be hard-pressed to find even a bridge starter among the group.

2026 trade market. Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins and Mac Jones are the names to watch. Joe Burrow has been bandied about on talk shows and such, but that seems like a pipe dream. Jones, who has resurrected his career in Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly offense, is the most intriguing option. As Brock Purdy‘s injury replacement, Jones is 5-3 with the San Francisco 49ers. Maybe he’d fit as a one- or two-year rental, allowing the Jets to wait until 2027 to draft their long-term solution.

In that sense, Jones would be like Fields. He’d also be the third Jets quarterback from the 2021 first round, joining Wilson and Fields.

Cousins, who has replaced injured Atlanta Falcons starter Michael Penix Jr. will have an opportunity to improve his value to the league. In 2018, the Jets made an unsuccessful free-agent bid for Cousins, which may have chafed some feelings in the organization.

Right now, the Jets are in quarterback hell. They’ve been frequent visitors to this place. Maybe they should’ve drafted one in the second or third round last spring, creating some hope. Maybe they should’ve taken Jaxson Dart in the first round. They opted to go all-in with Fields.

If the Jets cut Fields after the season, they will have to absorb $22 million in dead cap charges. They’re still paying off their debt from the ill-fated Rodgers mistake — $35 million in dead cap for 2026. Do the math: That would be $57 million for absent quarterbacks.

No matter what, the Jets are headed for a total rebuild at quarterback.

Oleksandr Usyk has relinquished his WBO heavyweight title after informing the governing body he would not proceed with a mandatory defence against Britain’s Fabio Wardley, the World Boxing Organization said on Monday. 

The WBO said it received “formal communication” from the Ukrainian’s team and confirmed the 38-year-old had “elected to relinquish the title after thoughtful consideration.” Wardley, 30, is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion following Usyk’s decision, according to Sky Sports. 

Usyk holds the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having regained the latter belt in December when he stopped Britain’s Daniel Dubois to restore his undisputed status. 

He first became four-belt undisputed champion in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before vacating the IBF crown the following month due to mandatory obligations linked to a rematch. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri paid tribute to Usyk in an emotional statement, calling him “a champion of champions”. 

“The WBO extends its profound respect, admiration, and gratitude to Oleksandr Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion,” Olivieri said. “His career stands as one of the most extraordinary and historic of the modern boxing era.” 

The WBO added that Usyk had exemplified “every right, privilege and honour associated with the WBO Super Champion distinction. “We accept and respect his decision to relinquish the WBO heavyweight super championship,” it said. 

“This is not a farewell but – as expressed by his team – a respectful pause. The doors of the WBO will always remain open to Oleksandr Usyk and his team.” Usyk won the WBO belt in 2021 when he defeated Anthony Joshua, later adding the WBC title by beating Fury. 

He defended the WBO crown four times during his reign. In July, the WBO ordered negotiations for a mandatory defence against its interim champion Joseph Parker, giving both camps 30 days to reach a deal before a purse bid. 

Parker, who won the interim title last year against Zhilei Zhang and retained it in February by stopping Martin Bakole, remained the organisation’s official challenger at the time.