Garrett Wilson is here for the long haul.
Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac announced on social media that $24.5 million of Wilson’s 2027 salary “is now guaranteed.”
The New York Jets made Wilson the highest-paid player in franchise history last offseason. He signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension that will keep him in the green and white through the 2030 season.
The former Ohio State product makes $32.5 million per year. According to Over The Cap, Wilson is the fifth-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.
The Former Ohio State Product Was on Pace for a Career Year
Through the first three seasons of Wilson’s career, he was one of only five players in NFL history to record at least 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards.
The others in that elite group: Odell Beckham Jr, Justin Jefferson, Michael Thomas, and Ja’Marr Chase.
In year No. 4, Wilson was on pace for a career season despite having Justin Fields at quarterback.
Through the first five games of the season, Wilson had 48 targets on 33 receptions for 382 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
If you extrapolate those numbers across a 17-game season, Wilson would have set new career highs in every category.
If he stayed on that pace, Wilson would have finished with 163 targets for 1,299 receiving yards, 112 receptions, and 14 touchdowns.
Not only would that have been new career highs, but it would have broken and threatened Jets records.
Only two players in Jets history have had 100+ receptions in a single season: Brandon Marshall (2015) and Wilson himself (2024).
Three players in Jets history have finished with 14 touchdown receptions in a single year: Marshall (2015), Art Powell (1960), and Don Maynard (1965).
Only two players in Jets history have finished with more than 1,299 receiving yards in a single season: Marshall (2015) and Maynard (1967).
New Adversity Strikes for Wilson
The former Ohio State product has dealt with plenty of adversity at the NFL level.
He has caught passes from nine different quarterbacks in a Jets uniform: Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, Mike White, Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle, Chris Streveler, Aaron Rodgers, Tyrod Taylor, and Fields.
Geno Smith is set to be the 10th different QB that Wilson has caught a pass from.
The good news is that whoever has been the WR1 of a Smith-led offense has gotten a chance to eat.
Throw away 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders because that was an unmitigated disaster. From 2022 through 2024, Smith was a full-time starter with the Seattle Seahawks. Here are his top wide receivers and their output from those seasons:
- 2022:
- DK Metcalf: 141 targets, 90 receptions, 1048 receiving yards, six touchdowns
- Tyler Lockett: 117 targets, 84 catches, 1,033 receiving yards, nine touchdowns
- 2023:
- Metcalf: 119 targets, 66 catches, 1,114 receiving yards, eight touchdowns
- 2024:
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 137 targets, 100 receptions, 1,130 receiving yards, six touchdowns
The key for Wilson is staying healthy. Through the first three years of his career, he appeared in 51 out of 51 possible games.
However, this past season Wilson dealt with new adversity: the injury bug. Wilson missed 10 total games because of injuries.
History would indicate that last year was an outlier compared to the rest of his professional career.
Another key is the Jets adding a competent No. 2 wide receiver opposite Wilson. We have navigated the first wave of free agency, which leaves the trade market and the 2026 NFL draft to fill the remaining void.
Jets Announce $24.5 Million Garrett Wilson News Amid Free Agency