The New York Jets made headlines this past week with the announcement that veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers would not return to the team in 2025.
Rodgers will leave the organization after winning five games over two years. Consequently, this opened up a big question for the Jets organization: Who will be the team’s starting quarterback going forward?
They could go in a few different directions. They could trade for or sign a veteran QB, they could draft a rookie signal caller, or they could do both. No matter what they do, they need to address it quickly over the next couple months.
Newly-hired general manager Darren Mougey has a lot to consider.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. presented an outside-the-box option for the Jets, speaking about the possibility of the team trading up to take a QB early in April’s NFL Draft. His scenario has the Jets moving up from their seventh overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ fifth overall pick to select Shadeur Sanders out of Colorado. The trade would leapfrog the QB-needy Las Vegas Raiders who own the sixth spot.
Sanders started his career with two years at Jackson State College, an FCS program. He transferred to the University of Colorado and played under his father, head coach Deion Sanders, for his final two college years.
His 2024 season was his best yet. He completed 74% of his passes for 4,134 yards, and threw 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.
Here is the clip of Kiper Jr. breaking down why the move up for Sanders makes sense for a Jets team looking for direction:
Well that would spice things up…@MelKiperESPN openly talked to @FieldYates about the possibility of the #Jets leapfrogging the #Raiders in a draft day trade with the #Jaguars at pick No. 5 overall to swipe Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders if he is still on the board.
‘You are… pic.twitter.com/8JNNndcPuk
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) February 15, 2025
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Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are no more.
From Rodgers’ standpoint, reports are conflicting on how he felt about the split.
The immediate news on the 41-year-old departing was that the Jets wanted a fresh start with new head coach Aaron Glenn and he wanted a clean slate. That’s not being debated because… it makes sense.
In terms of Rodgers, his reported feelings have been conflicting updates.
The New York Post first reported that Rodgers “pleaded” to stay in New York:
Now there is some debate there thanks to The Athletic.
During an appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show,” NFL insider Dianna Russini noted that was not the case according to her knowledge. She said Rodgers wanted out and he was not doing any pleading:
With the nature of Rodgers, we’ll likely never know the answer. He could respond to a question about the split one day, but in his usual interesting manner that might not answer much.
Russini’s full update can be found in the clip below:
@DMRussini
What really went down between @AaronRodgers12 and the @nyjets? And did @TheAthleticNFL insider drop a breadcrumb about a possible home for the future Hall of Famer?#NFL #NFLCombine #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/aJkHl1MDwk
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 19, 2025
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There is plenty to unfold for the New York Jets before the 2025 NFL draft rolls around but Tyler Warren might be a name to keep in mind.
During a segment on ESPN, the No. 7 overall selection held by New York was a topic of discussion.
That pick can go a lot of different ways and Warren’s name was brought up.
The roundtable discussion connected the Penn State tight end as a potential target for the Jets. During that, comparisons were made to the Las Vegas Raiders’ Brock Bowers, who just completed one of the best rookie seasons for a tight end.
Viewed as an all-around tight end, Warren had 104 catches for 1,233 yards with eight touchdowns during a breakout 2024 season.
The full breakdown on Warren and the Jets can be found below:
A lot of buzz around the #Jets & Penn State TE Tyler Warren
How would you feel if the Jets drafted him at #7 ? #JetUp pic.twitter.com/lNEcgFFei7
— 𝙅𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼(@NYJets_Media) February 14, 2025
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The 2024 NFL season for New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner was not his best.
Even so, when your bar is set so high, you still end up among the top-tier… at least that’s how Pro Football Focus sees it.
The football analytics outlet has named their top-101 players from last season. Gardner was one of the first to appear, slotting in at No. 99 overall:
Top 101 NFL players from the 2024 season:
#99: CB Sauce Gardner
25.5% forced incompletion rate (1st) pic.twitter.com/K0mZReoKc9
— PFF (@PFF) February 17, 2025
Entering his third year in the pros, Gardner was expected to be elite but fell a bit short of that. As the season rolled on, the 24-year-old improved.
In PFF’s same ranking a year ago, Gardner was at No. 33 overall so he did drop. The full context of Gardner having a “bad” campaign, and still earning at top-101 spot, is still impressive.
PFF’s final overall grade for Gardner last year was 70.2 overall. That slotted him in as the 32nd best cornerback in the NFL via their metrics out of 116 qualifying players.
In 15 games played, Gardner had one interception, nine passes defended, a sack, with 49 tackles including one for loss.
PFF’s full breakdown on Gardner can be found below:
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The new league year in the NFL begins on March 10 when free agents can take visits from teams and discuss contracts.
The New York Jets currently have approximately $20 million in salary cap space, a number that is certain to go up once the team makes cuts to the roster.
It will be interesting to see how new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will approach free agency. Will they strike fast on the first day or wait for the smoke to clear and do their shopping on day two? And are there any of the Jets own free agents they want to bring back next season and beyond?
Jets Wire will take a look at each of the team’s free agents and determine if they should return next season or let them move on to somewhere else. For our next free-agent profile, we look at an under utilized weapon on the offense, tight end Tyler Conklin.
Conklin signed a three-year, $21 million contract during the 2022 offseason, a day after the Jets signed another tight end to a similar deal, former Bengals tight end CJ Uzomah. Conklin was coming off his best season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 where he had 61 receptions for 593 yards and three touchdowns. The Jets envisioned Conklin and Uzomah serving as a two-headed monster at the position to help quarterback Zach Wilson.
While Uzomah struggled during his first year in New York, Conklin thrived putting up similar numbers to his 2021 season. He finished with 58 receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns. Conklin’s numbers slightly improved in 2023 with 61 receptions for 621 yards, but he did not have a touchdown.
Uzomah was released before the start of the 2024 season which made Conklin the top tight end on the roster. Most writers predicted he would have a great year with a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center and how AR loved throwing to the tight end.
But, Conklin’s numbers dropped a little as he finished with 51 receptions for 449 yards and four touchdowns. He finished with an overall PFF grade of 58.8, which ranked him 34th out of 37 tight ends in the league. His PFF receiving grade was 61.4, which also ranked him towards the bottom of the league (33rd out of 37).
Should the Jets Bring Him Back in 2025?
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Verdict: Yes.
If new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand is bringing Detroit’s style of a passing attack to the Jets, then Conklin is exactly the tight end I’d like to see in that offense next season. The Lions turned Sam LaPorta into one of the top tight ends in the league and a dangerous weapon each week. With Adams and Allen Lazard most likely gone to free up additional cap space, Conklin could potentially carve out a bigger role as a pass catcher if Glenn and Engstrand view him in the same regard as LaPorta.
Conklin’s numbers for all three seasons in New York were basically the same and even though 2024 was disappointing for him, it wasn’t entirely his fault. The offense focused more around Garrett Wilson, Adams and Breece Hall, which cut into Conklin’s targets. Rodgers struggled plenty of times as well in his first season back from his torn achilles tendon injury, which was also a factor for Conklin’s production.
The Jets tight end depth chart is very weak heading into the start of free agency. The only player currently under contract is Jeremy Ruckert and he could be a cap casualty due to poor play. They could bring back Kenny Yeboah to take on a bigger role outside of special teams. They could also look to the NFL Draft where Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland are the top two players at the position.
The Jets have not featured the tight end in their offensive schemes since the days of Dustin Keller. That could change under this new coaching staff. Conklin is still a solid offensive player and an excellent security blanket for the next Jets quarterback. They should strongly consider bringing Tyler Conklin back next season.
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Aaron Glenn has assembled his first full coaching staff with the New York Jets.
While the coordinators are usually the anticipated hires, there are many other assistants that joined Glenn’s staff.
Why not get to know those guys a bit more now?
The Jets released a five things to know video regarding the assistants working on the offensive side of the ball, including pass game coordinator Scott Turner and quarterbacks coach Charles Turner.
Check out the clip below:
five facts about our new offensive staff to chat about with your friends this weekendpic.twitter.com/ZGduEm60xg
— New York Jets (@nyjets) February 21, 2025
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The new league year in the NFL begins on March 10 when free agents can take visits from teams and discuss contracts.
The New York Jets currently have approximately $20 million in salary cap space, a number that is certain to go up once the team makes cuts to the roster.
It will be interesting to see how new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will approach free agency. Will they strike fast on the first day or wait for the smoke to clear and do their shopping on day two? And are there any of the Jets own free agents they want to bring back next season and beyond?
Jets Wire will take a look at each of the team’s free agents and determine if they should return next season or let them move on to somewhere else. For our next free-agent profile, we look at an under utilized weapon on the offense, linebacker Jamien Sherwood.
Sherwood was one of three fifth round picks the Jets made in the 2021 draft, along with Michael Carter II and Jason Pinnock. He was a safety at Auburn University, but head coach Robert Saleh envisioned him as more of a hybrid linebacker when he selected him with the 146th pick.
He only played five games in 2021 before suffering a torn achilles tendon in Week 7, ending his season. Sherwood is now heading into his fifth season and hasn’t missed a game since his rookie year. His numbers have improved with each season and he’s developed into a solid linebacker in the NFL.
Sherwood blossomed this past season filling in for CJ Mosley, who only played four games due to injury. He finished fourth in the league with 109 tackles and a PFF grade of 73.8, which ranked him 35th out of 189 linebackers. He was pretty consistent against both the pass and the run and was fourth in the league with 59 stops. Sherwood had some big shoes to fill as the mike linebacker after Mosley went down, but he was more than up for the challenge and was a major positive in an otherwise lost season for the Jets.
Should The Jets Bring Him Back in 2025?
Imagn
The Verdict: Yes.
Sherwood is one of the more surprising hits in the draft record of Joe Douglas. He just turned 25 years old and is exactly the type of player that Aaron Glenn would love to build his defense around. Not only did he seamlessly take over a very important role in absence of Mosley, but also showed plenty of leadership skills on a defense that badly regressed.
The Jets will have competition for Sherwood’s services as Saleh is expected to show interest now that he’s back as defensive coordinator in San Francisco and Jeff Ulbrich will try and recruit him for his defense in Atlanta. The Jets are pretty thin at linebacker heading into next season with Mosley’s future uncertain and Quincy Williams as the only other returning player at the position.
He’s another homegrown player the Jets shouldn’t let walk out the door. Glenn and Mougey will make Sherwood a priority when free agency begins and with the recent increase in the salary cap, the Jets will have money to spend and keep him in the green and white for the near future.
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The New York Jets and their split from quarterback Aaron Rodgers might reportedly predate the hiring of Aaron Glenn.
The team’s new head coach met with the 41-year-old prior to the two sides deciding to move in a different direction, according to separate reports.
In a newer update, NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that the Jets were already having those internal discussions to move on from the QB before Glenn was hired:
The New York Jets had discussions on moving on from Aaron Rodgers before the Jets hired their new HC & GM (Per @JosinaAnderson)
“a league source did tell me that there was internal talk regarding desires to move on from Aaron Rodgers at least one week before Aaron Glenn even… pic.twitter.com/R5VSiSgUYq
— 𝙅𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼(@NYJets_Media) February 24, 2025
In the end, Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey would have had their say in the decision with Rodgers. However, if this update holds true then it likely impacted the team’s hiring process between those two.
New York’s new brass will speak at the 2025 NFL combine this week.
Jets Wire will provide updates on the team throughout the offseason.
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Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner has been doing himself plenty of favors with fans in New York recently.
Gardner, 24, said after the 2024 NFL season ended for his team that he wants to be “part of the solution.”
Since then, Gardner has mentioned he made sure to go and head a face-to-face meeting with his new head coach in Aaron Glenn.
Gardner is at it again on social media.
In another positive for fans, Gardner took to his social media account on X/Twitter and replied to a post that simply pointed out how open Gardner has been about wanting to stay in New York.
That has not changed.
Gardner’s latest mention of staying with the Jets for the long term can be found below:
i don’t like keeping secretsthat’s why i don’t hesitate to say i wanna be a Jet long term lol https://t.co/V78TA6E4tu
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) February 25, 2025
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Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Let’s crowd source a 2024 NFL draft big board
We have the second prospect on the 2025 GGN Big Board. And the winner is: Travis Hunter, Cornerback/Wide Receiver, Colorado! With Hunter taking the second spot, our crowd sourced Big Board now looks like this:
- Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
- Travis Hunter, Cornerback/Wide Receiver, Colorado
- ?
From now until late April I’ll be putting up a daily poll asking GGN to vote on the best available players from a rolling list of 15 candidates. The idea here is to build a generic Big Board reflecting the community’s view of this year’s draft class regardless of the Jets’ (or any other team’s) particular needs. For example, you may think the Jets don’t need a Center this year, but that should not necessarily prevent you from placing a Center high on the Big Board if said Center warrants it. Each day we will close the previous day’s poll and the candidate with the most votes will be added to the GGN Big Board. In the event of a tie vote both players will go up on the Board. By the time the draft rolls around we should have 50 players on our Big Board.
If a name you think should be on the poll is not there you can write in candidates in the comments. If a player gets support in the comments I’ll consider adding him to the poll. If a player repeatedly gets zero votes he may be dropped from the poll for a few days.
We all have different views. What we’re looking for here is a composite of the best players in the community’s collective mind. Your views may or may not coincide with the community’s, and either way that’s OK. Life here on GGN would be pretty boring if we all agreed on everything.
Let’s get to it. Today we continue with the number three prospect on the crowd sourced GGN Big Board 2024. Who will it be? Vote early, vote often, and let’s hear who you think are the best players in this draft.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Jets need some receivers. Here are a few to consider.
As the New York Jets get primed to enter the 2025 season, it seems like new head coach Aaron Glenn is looking to completely revamp the team’s offense. Reports that the Jets will move on from Davante Adams and Adam Lazard are not surprising, yet their absences will leave a sizeable void in the wide receiver room for New York. Garrett Wilson may no longer be looking for a trade, but that doesn’t mean that he can do it on his own for the foreseeable future. While the Jets may target some players through free agency, the draft offers intriguing prospects for New York to target at wide receiver. Let’s look at some realistic options for the Jets in the 2025 NFL draft.
Before we get started, I want to note two omissions from this list: Jalen Royals and Tai Felton. I’ve gone into detail on both players in two separate articles already. You can read about Felton and other underrated offensive targets in the draft here, while you can look at Royals and other realistic options for the Jets in the second round here.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
Tre Harris, Ole Miss
In a previous article, I mentioned that there’s a real possibility that the Jets try to pair Ole Miss teammates Jaxson Dart and Tre Harris together. Given the Jets’ position in the NFL draft, it’s completely feasible if that is the option Glenn and company want to take.
Personally, I am not a big fan of Harris. I believe he is limited in his release packages at the line of scrimmage, and receivers that rely on contested catches often have difficulties at the NFL level. Nonetheless, there could be Ole Miss magic to be unlocked if he’s paired with Dart.
On paper, Harris is as elite as they come. The Rebels’ wide receiver finished second in the nation in PFF’s offensive and receiving grade. And despite only being targeted 76 times, Harris hauled in 78.9 percent of his looks (T-5th among WRs), for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns (min. 75 targets). His 5.12 yards per route run is absurd, as the second-highest receiver is only at 3.57.
Harris is primarily a deep threat option who doesn’t offer much on the inside - and that puts his 7.7 YAC into question. However, he could be an explosive playmaker for the Jets in a paired option with Wilson. If the Jets take Dart, it would feasibly make sense for them to target his partner on Day 2.
Xavier Restrepo, Miami
Despite being solely a slot receiver at the NFL level, Miami’s Xavier Restrepo could be a very intriguing prospect for the NY Jets.
Restrepo is a beefy 5-foot-9 receiver, coming in at over 200 pounds. The receiver was one of the primary options on an underwhelming Miami passing attack - but proved to be an important safety valve for quarterback Cam Ward.
Restrepo’s 1,127 yards was 10th in the FBS, and he added 11 touchdowns on the season as well. It seemed like when a play broke down Restrepo was always in the right place at the right time. In many ways he was reminiscent of Hunter Renfrow and his connection with Derek Carr only a few years ago.
Despite not being a deep threat on the field, Restrepo averaged a solid 16.3 yards per reception. Proving he’s a threat with the ball in his hands, the Miami product averaged 7.3 YAC, which was tied for 12th among wide receivers in 2024.
Restrepo is the type of player whose football IQ really sticks out when watching his film. It’s something that a quarterback can rely on when a play breaks down, yet he still performs well within the framework of an offense - which is important.
Currently, the Hurricane has a third-round grade. Whether or not NFL teams shy away from his size (or get enamored with his playstyle) remains to be seen. However, he’s an interesting prospect for a new-look Jets offense to take a chance on.
Ricky White, UNLV
The Jets currently have just two picks on Day 2 of the draft, so it doesn’t make much sense to pick multiple players in a pool it’s unlikely the Jets will be selecting from. However, there’s plenty of talent on the board in Day 3 - despite some considering it a weaker class. Ricky White is a player who’s currently slated as a Day 3 pick, but may see that change as the pre-draft process continues.
White was a touchdown machine for UNLV this season. He scored 11 receiving touchdowns while compiling over 1,011 receiving yards. At 6-foot-1, White is versatile as a receiver, with the ability to play both inside and outside. White has an elite yards per route run of 3.22 (4th among WRs), with a respectable ADOT of 11.9 yards.
The UNLV product was dominant in the team’s LA Bowl matchup against California this year, and White continued to showcase his talents while at the Shrine Bowl. White has an elite jab-step going into his break on slant routes that allows him to get open with ease. On top of that, the receiver has shown a high IQ on the field, knowing when to come back to the quarterback and creating plays.
To be honest, White reminds me in a lot of ways of the Jets’ own Garrett Wilson - albeit at a slightly lower talent level. Take that for what it’s worth, but it would be interesting to see two interchangeable pieces on the field at the same time for New York.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn
Normally when a player breaks out as a fifth-year senior, it should be taken with a grain of salt. However, KeAndre Lambert-Smith should be given credit for performing at a high level in a poor-performing Auburn offense in 2024.
The Tigers went through multiple quarterbacks this season as Payton Thorne really struggled in his final year of college ball. However, that didn’t stop KLS from being productive in the offense. The Auburn receiver finished with 981 yards and eight touchdowns.
In his college career, KLS has shown he can play both inside and out. At Auburn KeAndre was primarily an outside receiver as the team’s go-to target. Smith’s 19.6 yards per reception ranked fourth among FBS receivers in 2024, while his 7.4 YAC/REC (yards after catch per reception) ranked 12th.
At the Shrine Bowl, KLS was continuously productive. Not only was he consistently open in team drills, but he also didn’t show any hesitance in blocking. Lambert-Smith shows a tremendous ability to win with leverage against defensive backs. It’s a trait that NFL receivers must be good at, and KLS understands exactly what he has to do in order to gain that leverage. On top of that, Lambert-Smith showed he has excellent ball-tracking ability, and isn’t afraid to go up and get it.
At the NFL Combine, KLS surprised many by running a blazing-fast 4.38 40-yard dash. With a current Day 3 grade, a player with KLS’s attitude and ability could be useful in an offense trying to change their culture.
LaJohntay Wester, Colorado
One year after putting up record-breaking numbers at Florida Atlantic, LaJohntay Wester transferred to Colorado prior to the 2024 season This was partly due to problems surrounding the now-fired head coach, Tom Herman. But it also was a way for Wester to showcase that he can still perform despite being in a crowded receiving room. While he didn’t put up the same numbers with Colorado that he produced at FAU, Wester showed that he can hang with the best of them.
Like at FAU, Wester was a touchdown machine with the Buffaloes in 2024. The receiver had 10 receiving touchdowns to go along with 880 receiving yards. Wester wins with a combination of quickness, leverage, and football IQ that gives him an advantage over defenders.
Wester will play solely as a slot receiver at the NFL level. However, that could provide a great complement to Garrett Wilson. In a non-traditional offense, Wester can succeed in a variety of ways.
Currently, Wester slots in as a Day 3 prospect, which means that the Jets will have an opportunity to target him if they have interest. However, his ceiling could be higher - being a productive player in the league for multiple years.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Two contracts that seem equal aren’t always equal.
With NFL free agency set to begin, let’s talk about contracts. You will see some big money deals given out over the next couple of days. Some of the numbers will look staggering.
The raw numbers don’t always tell the whole story, though. In the NFL, finding out the guarantees and the structure of a deal are as important as the raw dollar figures themselves.
Let me provide one outlandish example to prove my point.
Two players can sign a 2 year, $50 million contract.
Let’s say Player A gets only $1 million in guarantees, while Player B gets the full $50 million in guarantees.
The two deals could conceivably be structured like this.
Player A
Year 1 Cap Hit: $1 million (guaranteed)
Year 2 Cap Hit: $49 million (non-guaranteed)
Player B
Year 1 Cap Hit: $25 million (guaranteed)
Year 2 Cap Hit: $25 million (guaranteed)
On first look the contracts look identical, but in reality the risks taken by the teams that sign the two players couldn’t be more different. Player A is essentially a low risk gamble, despite the gaudy contract numbers. His team can walk away from him after the first year with no cost. Player B is a significant investment to whom the team is likely committed for two seasons.
Another thing to understand is the difference between base salary and signing bonus.
A base salary is just that, the player’s regular salary for his play. After each game, the player receives a paycheck for 1/17 of his base salary.
A signing bonus is also what it sounds like. A player receives a bonus for signing with a team.
The way these are calculated against the salary cap are different, however.
Your base salary counts against the cap in full. If you have a $5 million base salary, that is a $5 million cap charge. If it’s $10 million, it’s a $10 million cap charge.
The cap charge for a signing bonus on the other hand, is spread out equally over the lifetime of a contract. If you get a $10 million signing bonus on a five year contract, the cap charge for that is $2 million per year for each of the five years.
The catch is the player usually receives the full signing bonus up front. So players and agents love signing bonuses. They don’t need to wait for the games to receive their money.
If you ever hear about a player restructuring his deal, it almost always means he has agreed to change some of his base salary into a signing bonus. Because the cap hit for a signing bonus is spread out over the life of the contract, changing base salary to signing bonus lowers a player’s cap hit for that year. And the player gets a check immediately instead of waiting for the season.
A player’s cap number is usually his base salary plus the charge that year for his signing bonus.
There are also other payments that can be added into a player’s cap number. For example, some players have a roster bonus. They get a bonus payment if they are on the roster at a certain date.
Some players also have workout bonuses. Teams cannot compel players to attend the voluntary parts of the offseason program. But they can provide the player with a bonus payment if he decides to show up.
There also are incentives. If a player reaches a certain threshold, he gets paid. If not, he doesn’t.
How do incentives count against the salary cap? The league determines whether an incentive is likely to be earned or not likely to be earned.
Likely to be earned incentives count against the salary cap. Not likely to be earned incentives do not.
If a player fails to hit a likely to be earned incentive, his team receives a salary cap credit the next season. If a player hits a not likely to be earned incentive, the team is charged against the cap the next season.
When a player’s time with a team ends either through a release, a trade, or retirement, there is frequently a dead money charge. Dead money is made out to be a super complex concept, but it really isn’t.
A player’s dead money charge is the amount of money he has been paid that a team hasn’t yet been charged on the salary cap.
Let’s go back to our example about the player with a five year contract and a $10 million signing bonus. That signing bonus cap charge is $2 million per year for five seasons.
Now imagine he gets cut after year two. The team was charged $2 million in that first year for the signing bonus and $2 million in the second year. However, the player was paid $10 million in signing bonus. That’s $6 million the player received for which the team hasn’t been charged. So the player counts for a $6 million dead money cap hit the season after he is cut.
One final concept that has picked up steam over the the few seasons is void years. Void years are nothing more than an accounting trick.
Let’s say the Jets sign a player with a $5 million signing bonus within the next week. They really only want the player for one year, but they want him to be cheaper this year.
The Jets can sign the player to a five year contract with a provision like, “This contract automatically voids on March 9, 2026.”
The player will be automatically cut on that date. But since it is a five year contract, the signing bonus cap hit can be spread out a $1 million apiece for the next five years instead of $5 million this year.
Of course, when the contract voids, the Jets would be hit with a $4 million dead money hit in 2026 since that would be money paid to the player that did not count against the cap.
Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
With plenty of holes on the roster a few unsung Jets have opportunities to make their mark
As the New York Jets offseason plan gets off the ground, it’s worth assessing some of the players currently under contract who the team will be looking to upgrade from.
In some cases, these players will end up playing a bigger role than expected, either because they show some development, fit naturally into the new system or get more playing time due to injury.
There may be names within this list that the team has no intention of replacing and may already have a bigger role earmarked for. However, with so many needs, others may find themselves thrust into the limelight in a less ideal situation where the Jets have been unable to find someone better.
In many cases these will be former draft picks, waiver claims or undrafted free agents who were thought to have some potential but haven’t lived up to that yet. However, players who didn’t show much in their first few seasons can often step up in year three or four. Jamien Sherwood is the best recent example of that, but others like Nathan Shepherd, Brandin Echols and Ashtyn Davis have progressed over the course of their rookie deals in recent seasons.
Could anyone in this list step up in similar fashion?
Six players who could play a key role
Jarius Monroe
As an undrafted safety, Monroe didn’t get many opportunities as he played just 17 defensive snaps. However, he made a big impact on special teams with some impressive moments in kick coverage at the end of the season. The similarly undrafted Tony Adams played just 14 snaps in the first 15 games of his rookie season and started at safety the following season. Could Monroe hope to emulate this?
Marcelino McCrary-Ball
McCrary-Ball was also impressive on special teams, as he was tied for second on the team in special teams tackles despite missing five games and also contributed well as a blocker. He only played three defensive snaps, but could he perhaps follow the same path as Chazz Surratt, who established himself on special teams first before working his way into the rotation?
Phidarian Mathis
An under the radar move saw the Jets claim the former second round pick Mathis right at the end of the season, although he didn’t suit up for the Jets. While Mathis has failed to live up to his draft positioning, he’s flashed his talent at times in Washington and could be a good candidate to fill a spot in the defensive tackle rotation with Quinnen Williams and Leonard Taylor the only others under contract.
Max Mitchell
Mitchell never developed into the starter that Joe Douglas reportedly expected him to become, but he still has a chance to be a reliable backup. Last year, he held up quite well whenever he was called into the lineup, and he has proven that he can play on either side or at the guard position.
Eric Watts
Watts had a good training camp, but was underwhelming in preseason and it arguably didn’t make much sense as to why he was ahead of the more impressive Braiden McGregor in the regular season rotation. However, as the season progressed, Watts settled into his role and even remained in the rotation after Haason Reddick’s return. He was most impressive against the run, but did flash a couple of times in pass rushing situations in late-season games, so hopefully he could develop further next season.
Xavier Newman
Newman is another player the coaching staff seemed to like more than some other seemingly superior guard options, which was confusing for a while, although CJ Mosley did tell the media Newman had been impressing in practice. The faith displayed in Newman seemed to pay off as he definitely showed improvement in preseason and when called upon during the regular season. Unfortunately, his year was cut short by injury, but he has a good shot at earning a roster spot as an interior reserve.
Six players who probably won’t contribute
Here’s some players who are in similar situations but feel less likely to make the most of it if they get their chance to shine. Of course, we could be wrong about any of these players and one or more could end up playing a bigger role after all.
Jordan Travis
Travis remained on the injured list all season as he was unable to make it back from a serious leg/ankle injury in his final college season. The Jets are exploring other options at quarterback following Aaron Rodgers’ departure, and a recent statement by Travis’ agent about the Jets alleged mishandling of his rehab process is not a good sign that there is confidence in his ability to compete for a role.
Malachi Corley
It’s obviously too early to write off Corley after a disappointing rookie season that saw him inactive most of the time. He only had a few touches, with the most memorable seeing him inexplicably dropping the ball before he crossed the goal line on what should have been his breakout moment. When considering players who looked out of their depth as a rookie but went on to be solid pros, Bilal Powell is a good example. However, with the Jets exploring the wide receiver market and a good rookie class, Corley will have to prove himself all over again to the new coaches just to get opportunities.
Carter Warren
Unlike Mitchell, Warren has routinely struggled when called upon to fill in for injured offensive tackles. Even in his more consistent performances, there’s usually a play or two where he gets totally dominated to allow his man to make an impact play in a backfield. While Warren is a better athlete than Mitchell, his smarts are not on the same level, which probably gives Mitchell the edge in an emergency situation.
Jeremy Ruckert
With Tyler Conklin expected to depart in free agency, this would be an ideal time for Ruckert to step up and take on a starting role. However, he’s been so disappointing that it seems inevitable the Jets will bring in Conklin’s replacement from outside the organization. Ruckert still got plenty of playing time last year and could in theory have a similar role in 2025 but, unless they sign his former college teammate Justin Fields, it seems more likely he’ll be phased out for someone more reliable.
Qwan’tez Stiggers
Much like Corley, Stiggers was a player the coaching staff was high on and raved about in training camp, only for him to hardly play any kind of role in his rookie season. The Jets are expected to bring in a replacement if DJ Reed leaves, so Stiggers will remain on the bench again and will likely have to compete just to ensure he isn’t stuck in a special teams-only role.
Zaire Barnes
Barnes is another player who missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, having only played on special teams as a rookie. When they drafted Barnes, the Jets would have hoped he’d be ready to contribute on defense by now, but he was unimpressive in preseason in each of his first two seasons, and the Jets brought in Surratt, McCrary-Ball and the journeyman Sam Eguavoen as alternatives.
Do you feel any of the above players were in the wrong list? Or are there other forgotten Jets worthy of discussion? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
Stephens comes from the Ravens.
The Jets are signing Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens per Mike Garofalo.
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The 27 year old Stephens was a third round pick by Baltimore in 2021 out of SMU. He began his college career at UCLA.
He has been a full-time starter for the Ravens over the last two seasons. He will likely replace DJ Reed at the starting outside corner spot opposite Sauce Garnder. Stephens certainly has his work cut out for him. Reed was excellent during his three year Jets career. Stephens’ play to date has been up and down.
Stephens is on the big side for a cornerback at 215 pounds and has extensive experience in man coverage. Aaron Glenn likes to play man as much as any defensive coach in the league. Perhaps the Jets see something on the film that they believe can help them unlock Stephens’ potential as a big press cornerback at the line of scrimmage.
