The New York Jets just doled out the two largest contracts in franchise history.
Garrett Wilson received a four-year $130 million extension, and Sauce Gardner received a four-year $120.4 million extension.
That is a quarter of a billion dollars, but if you dive deeper into the full numbers, the Jets came out as the big winners.
NFL analyst Will Parkinson shared the full contract details on social media via Over The Cap.
One of the key takeaways is that the next two years, covering 2025 and 2026, are relatively inexpensive.
Wilson is only set to count $7 million against the cap in 2025 or 2.51% of the cap. In 2026, the former Ohio State product counts just $10 million against the cap, per Over The Cap.
Gardner is only set to count $9.4 million against the cap in 2025 or 3.37% of the cap. In 2026, the former Cincinnati product counts just $12 million against the cap, per Over The Cap.
Backloading the Contracts Gives the Jets More Flexibility
For at least 2025, the Jets quarterback is Justin Fields. He is under contract for the next two seasons on a $40 million deal.
That creates a window for the Jets to have financial flexibility to make a move if the right opportunity presents itself.
If Fields doesn’t work out, the Jets will likely go down the rookie quarterback fork in the road.
A fan on social media said the way these Wilson and Gardner contracts are structured is “perfect for a rookie qb contract.”
Parkinson responded to that post with a bullseye emoji, “🎯.”
In other words, when Gardner and Wilson start accounting for a bigger hit on the cap, if the Jets had a cheap rookie starting quarterback, it would balance out.
Here is how it breaks down for Wilson after the first two seasons: 2027 ($23.25 million against the cap), 2028 ($35.92 million against the cap), 2029 ($36.67 million against the cap), and 2030 ($38.5 million against the cap), per Over The Cap.
“So this, for the Jets, is essentially a four-year deal at just over $90 million with team options for 2029 ($27.9M) and 2030 ($32.5M). Total value over 6 years: $150.3M,” NFL Insider Albert Breer explained on social media.
Here is how it breaks down for Gardner after the first two seasons: 2027 ($23.75 million against the cap), 2028 ($29 million against the cap), 2029 ($38.9 million against the cap), and 2030 ($36.1 million against the cap), per Over The Cap.
These Contracts Will Age Like a Fine Wine for the Jets
The Jets are getting their flowers. They have retained two of their homegrown talents on long-term deals.
A few years from now, the Jets will be receiving flowers again.
Gardner is now the highest-paid corner in football. Wilson is the No. 5 highest-paid WR in football. That ain’t gonna last long. Eventually, other players will receive their new deals and will surpass Gardner/Wilson.
It’s only a matter of time until Wilson and Gardner tumble in the APY for their positional groups. The deals look great now, but they will be even greater down the road.
Jets Are Big Winners After $250 Million Contract Details Emerge