It’s safe to say that experiment failed.
New York Jets defensive tackle Mazi Smith has a $12.97 million fifth-year team option looming this offseason. By the first week of May, the Jets must decide whether to accept it or to decline it.
Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac predicted that the Jets will decline that in 2026.
“DL Mazi Smith (acquired from Dallas at the deadline) hasn’t come close to living up to his #26 overall pick status. He remains a role player at best and won’t see his option year exercised here,” Ginnitti wrote.
Not only did he predict the Jets wouldn’t extend Smith, but that they could actually just cut bait this offseason.
“The 24-year-old holds a fully guaranteed $2.5M salary in 2026, but he’ll enter the offseason buried within the Jet’s DL depth chart. With draft picks and free agent capital ready to burn, NY may opt to eat the salary and free up the roster spot,” Ginnitti said.
Former First Rounder Was Worth the Kick of the Tires
Ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the Jets struck a blockbuster deal with the Cowboys. The green and white flipped defensive tackle Quinnen Williams for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
The Jets received a treasure chest of picks for their team captain. That was more than enough to finalize the deal. However, the cherry on top of the pie was a kick of the tires with Smith.
Smith, 24, entered the league as the No. 26 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Jets lost a DT in that trade, so it made sense to replace that roster spot with a younger guy with upside. It just didn’t come to fruition.
Smith only appeared in three games with the Jets after the trade. The former Michigan product was a healthy scratch for six of the nine games with the Jets. Smith appeared in just 54 defensive snaps, which was a career low for the former first-rounder.
Jets Need to Completely Overhaul the Defensive Tackle Position This Offseason
The Williams trade provided plenty of hope for the future with draft assets, but in the immediate, it left a massive void on defense.
Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips are the main holdovers from 2025 that’ll be here in 2026.
Briggs was acquired via trade with the Cleveland Browns right before the season. The Jets moved from the sixth round to the seventh round in exchange for the talented defensive tackle.
Briggs was second on the team in sacks (4) and tackles for loss (8) this season, per ESPN. The 24-year-old is scheduled to be an ERFA [exclusive rights free agent] this offseason.
“Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams,” the NFL explained in their operations manual.
Phillips, 29, is due a $7.5 million non-guaranteed base salary for 2026. While it could be tempting to add more money to their war chest, they aren’t short on cash.
The Jets have the 7th most cap space in the NFL ($66 million), per Over The Cap.
Phillips and Briggs are a nice pair in the middle, but the Jets are going to need a lot more help on the interior.
Jets Predicted to Decline $12 Million Contract, Cut Ex-First Round Pick