The New York Jets are predicted to hand out another new deal before the year is up.
ESPN’s Seth Walder boldly predicted that “The Jets will sign defensive tackle Jowon Briggs to a contract extension before the end of the season. The Jets have depth at defensive tackle after acquiring T’Vondre Sweat and David Onyemata in the offseason (and still have Harrison Phillips on the roster), but Briggs, acquired in a trade with the Browns last August, has flashed real promise. Last season he ranked in the top 12 in both pass rush win rate and run stop win rate at defensive tackle. He can be a long-term solution for the Jets along the interior.”
Briggs, 25, signed an ERFA [exclusive rights free agent] tender with the Jets this offseason. That deal is worth $1.07 million. Next offseason, he is scheduled to be a restricted free agent.
There are three restricted free agent tenders the Jets could choose to put on Briggs next offseason. Here are the projected 2027 totals from Over The Cap:
- First round: $8.73 million
- Second round: $6.26 million
- Right of first refusal: $3.82 million
Instead of that playing out, Walder is predicting that the team will be proactive and sign Briggs to a new deal to keep him with the Jets.
A Savvy Trade That Landed a Young Piece
Ahead of the 2025 season, the Jets struck a trade with the Browns, sending a 2026 sixth-round pick for a 2026 seventh-round pick and Briggs.
For an inconsequential cost, the Jets acquired a key piece to the puzzle on defense. Briggs finished with four sacks, a forced fumble, 10 quarterback hits, and eight tackles for loss. He appeared in all 17 games and was involved in 52% of the defensive snaps last season.
During the offseason, teams have a 90- or 91-man roster. During the regular season, that is chopped down to 53. Not every player that is acquired is going to be a massive superstar on the cover of video games. As a matter of fact, most players on your roster won’t be.
Briggs will likely never be a top-paid interior defensive lineman, but he has a chance to be on the roster for the next decade as a key contributor.
This year, he will be a cog in the machine. The plan is for him to reach a new level, especially with all of the experience in the room.
Briggs can learn from Phillips and Onyemata, who have both been in the league for a decade. The pair of veterans are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents next offseason.
The Future at the Position Is Bright
Gang Green has three young defensive tackles that could be the future of the team.
The Jets acquired Sweat this offseason in a trade with the Tennessee Titans. The Jets acquired Briggs in a trade last offseason. During the 2026 NFL draft, the Jets selected Darrell Jackson Jr out of Florida State. If they all pan out, this can be a nice three-headed monster for the next five to seven years for the Jets on the interior.
Briggs is 25, Sweat is 25, and Jackson is 23.
Jets Predicted to Extend 25-Year-Old to New Long-Term Deal