Don, Hahn & Rosenberg Podcast – Hour 3: Jets Offseason Plans

Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
Theme: The crew debates the Jets’ quarterback situation, draft strategy for pick #16, and broader offseason plans, with heated exchanges about organizational philosophy, past mistakes, and the challenges facing an impatient franchise.

Episode Overview

The main thrust of this hour centers around the New York Jets' crucial offseason decisions, especially the question: Should the Jets use the 16th pick on a developmental quarterback like Ty Simpson, or focus on acquiring plug-and-play talent and veteran stability? The discussion features a critical analysis of Mel Kiper’s mock draft, the risks of organizational impatience, and the pitfalls of the Jets’ history with young QB development. Listeners join in, offering alternative strategies and voicing fan frustration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft and the Ty Simpson Debate

• Kiper links Alabama’s Ty Simpson to the Jets at #16, arguing his upside and competitiveness, but admitting he needs development ([00:50]).

• Alan and Don immediately push back, arguing the Jets aren’t equipped to develop a raw QB and face intense pressure to play any rookie immediately.

  • Don: "You can ruin a quarterback by throwing him out there… The Jets are really good at that." ([01:21])
  • Alan: "These picks need to turn into plug-and-play immediate players now." ([02:23])

• Alan prefers pursuing Trindon Chambliss as a lower-round option or trading down to collect draft capital. He questions taking any QB with little game experience, especially when the team lacks developmental stability.

  • "If that means that 16 pick goes to a team that wants a quarterback they can stash… great. Give me some draft capital and I can always get into the second round..." ([02:23])

2. Organizational Dysfunction and Pressure

• The Jets’ unstable commitment to patience looms large.

  • Don: "You draft him, and within days, people are going to be, 'How fast can you get him in?'" ([01:21])
  • Alan: "If that's the answer to everything, you're dead... Let's not even talk about it... It's all going to be a mess." ([06:21])

• Comparison to other franchises:

  • Teams with established veteran QBs (e.g., the Rams with Stafford) can afford to draft and sit a rookie.
  • The Jets, by contrast, lack the “infrastructure” and patience—owners and fans would clamor for immediate results ([04:49], [05:20]).

• Schrager’s “Keep Swinging” Philosophy:

  • The panel ridicules Peter Schrager’s idea of “just draft a QB at 16, and if it doesn’t work, try again next year.”
  • Alan: "I cannot. If that is your general philosophy as a general manager, you should not be allowed back in the league." ([09:44])
  • Don: "How can you just say… 'Hey, if it doesn’t work, just pick another one next year'? No, because you know why? You won’t be here to pick another one next year if the team stinks again..." ([10:24])

3. The Value of the #16 Pick

• Consensus: The 16th pick cannot be wasted on a “swing” quarterback.

  • "16 is too valuable." – Don ([18:41])
  • "This isn't a garbage pick." – Peter ([18:45])
  • "You traded away Sauce Gardner to get that pick… you just don't throw it away. It's 16, it's in the middle of the first round." – Alan ([09:38])

• Strong calls for leveraging the pick for immediate contributors or more draft capital.

4. Veteran Stop-Gap Quarterbacks vs. Drafting for the Future

• The panel recognizes few quality vet QBs are available (names discussed: Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, Tua, Mac Jones, Malik Willis, Joe Flacco, and tongue-in-cheek, Aaron Rodgers).

  • Don: "There are going to be older QBs... they're not going to move the needle." ([18:04])
  • Caller suggestion: Sign Mac Jones as a placeholder and draft a developmental QB on Day 2/3. ([17:05])

• Malik Willis as a low-risk upside play.

  • Peter: "At least you could be curious about Malik Willis’s ceiling." ([31:05])
  • Don: "He just was drafted into a bum situation." ([31:11])
  • Even so, concern over overpaying for reclamation projects.

5. The Jets’ Cycle of Losing & Imposed Panic

• The hosts voice frustration over the cycle of impatience, panic moves, and lack of real progress.
  • Alan: "You go out there and go 3 and 14, and everybody gets fired." ([15:48])
  • Don: "The patience all of a sudden turns into panic every time." ([16:53])
  • Fans and hosts agree that until ownership changes approach, the team is stuck in reactive, short-term thinking.

6. Fan Call-Ins Reflect Realistic (and Cynical) Appraisal

• Callers echo hosts’ worries about wasting picks; suggest focusing on filling holes, then targeting a true QB in a deeper future class ([19:06], [28:34]).

  • Caller: “The Jets have like four picks in the top 50 next year... Not like they're a quarterback away from the Super Bowl.”

• Skepticism about “winning just enough to have a bad pick but not enough to save jobs” and the annual debate of tanking vs. trying to build momentum ([29:49]).

7. The “Desperation” Free Agency Hypotheticals

• Hosts joke but also genuinely consider wild scenarios like calling Flacco or even crawling back to Aaron Rodgers for a reunion after last season.
  • Don: "I'd rather crawl back to Aaron Rodgers than take a quarterback at 16 who I know can't play." ([38:18])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On reckless QB drafting:

  • Alan: “If that is your general philosophy as a general manager, you should not be allowed back in the league. Oh, it's a sick art. So what? I'll take a quarterback. Oh, if it doesn't work, we'll just… so what?” ([09:44])
  • Don: “How can you just say, you know, 'Hey, if it doesn’t work out, just pick another one next year'? No, because you know why—you won’t be here to pick another one next year if the team stinks again...” ([10:24])

• On the organizational cycle:

  • Don: “The patience all of a sudden turns around into panic every time.” ([16:53])

• On the value of pick 16:

  • “When did all of a sudden, Peter, 16 become like a throwaway?” – Alan ([18:36])
  • Don: “16 is too valuable.” ([18:41])
  • Peter: "This isn't a garbage pick." ([18:45])

• On the Jets' self-awareness:

  • Don: “You would think a three would know what a three looks like.”
  • Peter: “That's exactly right. They know very well. They just need a mirror.” ([23:01–23:07], in the context of the Jets dating analogy)

• On the hypothetical Aaron Rodgers return:

  • Alan: “You're asking the Jets to send a U up text to Aaron Rodgers.” ([36:25])
  • Don: “I'd rather crawl back to Aaron Rodgers than take a quarterback at 16 who I know can't play.” ([38:18])

Key Timestamps

• 00:13 – 04:21: Mel Kiper’s Ty Simpson mock explained and dissected
• 04:49 – 06:26: Debate over Jets’ drafting and development track record
• 08:58 – 10:59: Rant on the dangers of “just keep swinging at QB” logic
• 13:36 – 16:53: Ownership impatience and its organizational consequences
• 17:01 – 19:00: Caller 'Moose' proposes Mac Jones stop-gap strategy
• 19:06 – 20:38: Caller 'Larry' echoes value-focus for pick #16
• 21:01 – 23:07: Highlight: Jets “3/10” self-awareness dating analogy
• 28:34 – 30:20: Caller 'Adam' on tanking versus building for a future QB
• 31:03 – 32:39: Malik Willis explored as a bridge/unknown-upside player
• 34:10 – 35:06: Hypothetical “help wanted” ad for a Jets QB
• 36:25 – 38:18: Joking about texting Aaron Rodgers for a return

Overall Tone & Style

• Cynicism laced with humor: The hosts mock the franchise’s dysfunction but do so with familiar New York sports radio wit.
• Direct, passionate language: Frequent outbursts (“you should not be allowed back in the league,” “it’s all going to be a mess”) illustrate deep frustration.
• Occasional sports talk analogies (dating, job ads) keep things light when the subject matter gets bleak.
• Engaged and frank with callers: Listeners’ frustrations mirrored and amplified, giving “voice” to the fan base.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• Jets face a high-stakes offseason; most agree the team cannot justify gambling pick #16 on a developmental QB this year.
• The organization’s instability and lack of patience make nurturing a young QB nearly impossible under current conditions.
• The best approach: fill holes with immediate contributors or veterans, use the draft capital for future flexibility, and wait for a true franchise QB opportunity.
• The hosts’ dynamic—blunt, sarcastic, self-aware—matches the long-suffering but still hopeful tone of the Jets’ fan base.

Summary by: [Your AI Podcast Summarizer]