Getty New York Jets quarterback Mike White waiting on the sideline before an NFL game.
All good things must come to an end.
There is massive roster turnover in the NFL on a year-to-year basis and the New York Jets are not impervious to this.
We recently explored which players may be entering their final season with the team in 2022.
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Starting on Defense
5. Quincy Williams, linebacker
The 25-year-old (will be 26 by the start of the 2022 season) was originally acquired as a late waiver wire scoop ahead of this past season by the Jets.
While most more so knew him as the older brother of Quinnen Williams, it didn’t take long for the hard thumping linebacker to make a name for himself on the green and white.
When injuries befell the position, Williams stepped up to the plate and made an instant impact. Sometimes he got picked on in coverage, but he made up for it with his thunderous hit sticks and infectious energy.
He is entering the last year of his rookie contract that the Jets picked up off of waivers, but the team may head into a new direction in 2023.
4. Quinnen Williams, defensive lineman
The Jets better hope this isn’t the last season the former Alabama stud plays for this team. Unlike his brother, Quinnen’s contract doesn’t run out after 2022, the Jets have already stated publicly that they’ll be exercising the fifth-year option on his contract.
Although the reason why he cracks the list is because the Jets haven’t handed him a juicy long-term contract extension yet. This offseason the 24 year old became eligible for the first time in his career to discuss a new deal with the Jets.
It seems like the green and white are more than content waiting until the next offseason before they decide on his long-term future with the franchise. So far he hasn’t lived up to the billing as the No. 3 overall pick, but he has been an above-average starter.
If he pops this year with improved talent around him then he’ll have a more expensive price tag next year. If he flops and doesn’t live up to the hype, his price tag will go down. Depending on how all of that unfolds, the Jets could consider selling him off to the highest bidder.
However, it is worth noting that the Jets haven’t handed out many second contracts recently and it could send a bad message to the locker room if Williams is sent away.
Flipping Over to the Other Side of the Ball
3. George Fant, offensive tackle
General manager Joe Douglas hit a home run when he signed the former basketball standout in free agency. The front office loves him and in a perfect world would love to keep him in green and white for the foreseeable future.
Although there are a few complicating factors that could change that destiny. The Jets hold the No. 4 and No. 10 overall picks in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. If a talented enough offensive tackle that they like is there they won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
If that happens and Mekhi Becton shows he is the same talented player he was as a rookie. It is very possible that Fant will be the odd man out in this rotation. He would be the oldest of the bunch and thus the easiest to ship off.
There is also another alternate universe where the Jets decide to keep Fant and the incoming rookie and trade Becton. In other words there are a ton of options and even more uncertainty with the future of this group.
Connor McGovern has enjoyed a great start to the preseason. 0 pressures allowed over 22 snaps in protection
2. Connor McGovern, center
A sneaky thing people aren’t paying attention to is the volatility that could be coming to the trenches in 2023. Two of the Jets five starters are pending free agents in 2023.
McGovern has had two very interesting seasons, one questionable and one better than people give it credit for. Although it is worth noting that the green and white have been doing some serious homework on other centers in free agency.
Douglas has been open that regardless of how good his offensive line is, he will never be complacent. Apparently he wasn’t joking and drafting a center and replacing McGovern is very much in the cards for this team in late April-early May.
1. Mike White, quarterback
If this article would’ve been written a year ago you likely would’ve said who? That is the beauty of the NFL and how crazy things can happen during the season.
The 27 year old went from a random nobody to a cult hero that briefly was immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Life comes at you pretty fast.
This offseason the Jets tendered him as a restricted free agent and White signed that locking in his spot for the upcoming 2022 season. Although his future beyond that is a major question mark.
He would be the perfect long-term backup, something the Jets haven’t had in a long time. Although White may have larger aspirations which the Jets may not be able to satisfy. If he is cool being the No. 2, then there is a realistic future for him in Gang Green. If not, then he could be destined for greener pastures.
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Mike White Among 5 Jets That Could Be Entering Final Season With Team