ANew York Jets pass catcher is seeking greener pastures.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed that wide receiver John Metchie is signing a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said the Jets had “some interest” in bringing him back this offseason.
The Jets Let Metchie Test the Open Waters
Metchie, 25, will turn 26 before the start of the 2026 season.
He was originally acquired by the Jets ahead of the NFL trade deadline in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025.
The former Alabama product appeared in nine games and made seven starts. With those opportunities, Metchie finished with 29 receptions on 44 targets for 256 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Before free agency, the Jets had a chance to tender Metchie at a variety of levels. The cheapest tender would have been a one-year deal for $3.5 million. That would have made Metchie a restricted free agent. The Jets would have had the right of first refusal.
However, the team opted not to tender him, which made Metchie an unrestricted free agent. If the Jets had an interest in bringing him back, as Cimini mentioned, then they would have attempted to do so at a cheaper rate than $3.5 million on a one-year deal.
Jets Will Look at Other Avenues to Fill the Void at the Wide Receiver Position
With all due respect, if Metchie had been brought back, it would have been in a depth role.
The Jets need to add someone of substance to pair up with Garrett Wilson at wide receiver.
The problem is that there aren’t many good receivers available in free agency. Whichever ones were halfway decent either didn’t want to come here because of the Jets’ quarterback situation or they had too many problems.
That could lead the Jets to explore the trade market to find answers.
Update on the Brian Thomas Jr Situation
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY sparked the trade rumors about Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Hughes revealed that the Jets had trade talks with the Jags about BTJ at the deadline last year. Jacksonville wasn’t interested at the time. However, Hughes explained that their stance has since changed on a potential trade and that they’d be open to it.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic has since provided an update to that conversation.
“I absolutely do think the Jets are interested. I am confident in saying that the Jaguars are very willing to trade him … A 2nd round pick would get it done, I think,” Rosenblatt revealed on the “Flight Plan” podcast.
‘I absolutely do think the Jets are interested. I am confident in saying that the Jaguars are very willing to trade him. I think a 2nd round pick would get it done,’ @ZackBlatt told @TimMMcMaster. 👀
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If that is indeed the price of doing business, the Jets have the ammo to pull a deal off. The Jets have four picks inside the top-44 of April’s draft. That includes a pair of first rounders (No. 2 and No. 16 overall) and a pair of second rounders (No. 33 and No. 44 overall).
You’d have to think Thomas is a better receiver than anyone you’d potentially get in the second round of the 2026 NFL draft. The former LSU product was a Pro Bowler as a rookie. He finished with 87 receptions for 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024.
25-Year-Old Jets WR Signs Deal With Panthers in Free Agency