Gang Green Nation
The Draft class of 2022 can now sign contract extensions.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicated that the Jets have begun contract extension talks with Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson during an interview on The Jake Asman Show.
Players cannot sign a contract extension until they complete their third NFL season as per the collective bargaining agreement. Now that Gardner and Wilson are finished with their third professional campaigns, talks can begin on new deals.
Only time will tell how easy these negotiations will be and what the final contract figures will be.
I will take it as a positive that these discussions have begun. Gardner and Wilson are both cornerstone players, and the Jets should do everything in the power to make sure both wear green and white through the prime years of their respective careers.
Right now both players have two years remaining on their rookie contracts. With the salary cap consistently rising and a player’s leverage increasing the closer he gets to free agency, it’s smart to be proactive and try to strike a deal as early as possible.
The Jets have infrequently been proactive in negotiating extensions with star level players during Woody Johnson’s tenure. It has turned many negotiations into higher drama affairs than they needed to be and led some star players to leave the team.
Perhaps with Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey it is a new day, and we will see a more proactive Jets management group.
