FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets' quarterback of the future could be playing Friday night in the College Football Playoff semifinals, so you can bet general manager Darren Mougey will have a keen interest in watching Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore.

"There's still several games to be played, and I think these games will be big and have an impact [on draft evaluation]," Mougey said Tuesday at his end-of-season news conference.

The Jets, coming off the failed Justin Fields experiment, need a quarterback in the worst way. Mendoza and Moore are considered the top two quarterback prospects -- if Moore opts for the draft -- and the Jets are in prime position with the No. 2 pick behind the Las Vegas Raiders, who are also in need of a quarterback.

The Peach Bowl matchup conjures up memories of Nov. 18, 2017, when USC's Sam Darnold and UCLA's Josh Rosen met at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Jets' quarterback-hungry GM, Mike Maccagnan, scouted the game from a seat in the crowd (he preferred that to the press box), knowing he was watching two of the top college talents. He wound up drafting Darnold in 2018.

No word on whether Mougey will be in Atlanta for the Mendoza-Moore showdown (or Moore-Mendoza, depending on your preference). He already has scouted each player in person, and so have the Jets' college scouts. The draft is one piece to a giant puzzle, one that will begin to come together when the new league year begins in March.

The Jets must add a quarterback. Two, probably. Three isn't out of the question.

"I can tell you this," Mougey said, "we will exhaust every option: Free agency, [trades], obviously the draft. We will exhaust that and have a good solution for the New York Jets."

They've been searching for a franchise quarterback for ... oh, about 50 years, give or take a decade. Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn, who went 3-14 as a rookie GM/coach tandem this season, talk about their plan and "clear vision" for success. It will be impossible to execute that plan without a competent quarterback.

Fields and rookie Brady Cook are under contract for 2026, though neither seems to factor into their long-term plans. Fields might not be on the roster, period. Neither Glenn nor Mougey gave him a vote of confidence, fueling speculation that Fields will be one-and-done after signing a two-year, $40 million contract last offseason.

After cutting Aaron Rodgers, they thought enough of Fields as a free agent to sign him despite a career of inconsistency. He was shaky in training camp and had only nine starts before he was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor (pending free agent), throwing the entire offense into a free fall.

It's fair to wonder if the Jets have the infrastructure to develop a young quarterback such as Mendoza or Moore. Glenn's background is defense, and his offensive coordinator, Tanner Engstrand, has no experience in grooming a highly drafted quarterback. The Fields flop reinforced the perception that the Jets might not be the ideal place for a young arm.

"We're going to exhaust everything that we can to make sure that we surround our quarterbacks now -- and if we get any quarterbacks in the future -- with the guys that are going to help them," said Glenn, hinting he might look to add an experienced coach to his offensive staff.

This is a perennial issue, one that has vexed so many previous regimes. It's no coincidence that, over their current 15-year playoff drought, the Jets are last in passing yards, touchdown passes and QBR.

"Obviously, we have to be better," Mougey said. "We have to be better at several spots, quarterback included."

The Jets fielded one of the worst passing attacks in recent history. Fields, Taylor and Cook combined for only 15 touchdown passes and 2,385 yards -- both league lows. The yardage total is the NFL's second lowest in the past 14 years, only 166 yards more than the 2022 Chicago Bears. Common denominator? Fields was the quarterback for both teams.

What does it say that the most memorable pass of the season was thrown by a running back? We're talking about Breece Hall's game-winning halfback option against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 26.

Let's dig a little deeper into the lack of production. Prepare to be shocked.

The Jets recorded only two first-quarter touchdown passes and passed for only 759 yards in the first half of games, the league's lowest total over at least the past 20 years. Some of that can be attributed to their reliance on the ground game.

They went into almost every game at a disadvantage at quarterback, exacerbated by a porous defense that couldn't keep games close. The Jets trailed by double digits for 53.1% of their offensive plays, the highest percentage by any team this century, per ESPN Research.

Now it's incumbent upon Mougey and Glenn to acquire a starting-caliber quarterback, which might be as tricky as pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The free agent market is thin -- Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota, Jimmy Garoppolo and Malik Willis are the top names. Kirk Cousins could become a free agent; he restructured his contract in a way that forces the Atlanta Falcons to make a decision by March 13. Potential trade targets are Jacoby Brissett, Mac Jones and Kyler Murray.

The Jets have enough draft assets to be a high-end player in the quarterback market, in the event someone unexpected becomes available (Lamar Jackson?). They have two first-round picks and two second-round picks this year, plus three first-round picks in 2027.

Mougey and Glenn, in their news conferences, made several references to the draft capital. At one point, Glenn, seated alongside his GM, was nodding his head as Mougey mentioned the array of picks.

Ideal situation: Moore declares for the draft, impresses Jets brass during the predraft process and earns a high grade on the Jets' draftboard. Ditto, Mendoza. That way, they'd be content with either one.

Let's not forget about Alabama's Ty Simpson, who declared Wednesday. As of now, talent evaluators don't have him on the same level as Mendoza and Moore -- Simpson has only 15 college starts -- but maybe he will be a consideration with the 16th pick. The Jets acquired that choice from the Indianapolis Colts in the Sauce Gardner trade, and it could turn out to be a significant wild card in their quarterback pursuit.

If it plays out this way, the Jets will have to manage a rookie quarterback in 2026 while attempting to make strides in the standings. Owner Woody Johnson gave Glenn and Mougey a pass on 3-14, but he might not be as forgiving if it happens again.

"We all know Woody and we all know he wants to win, just like we do," Glenn said. "So, yes, there's a sense of urgency from that."

A quarterback can change everything. The trick is picking the right one and putting him in a position to succeed.