From Aaron Rodgers to Allen Lazard, the Jets first offseason had some surprising decisions that closed a door, but perhaps opened a new window.
2025 NFL training camp is officially underway in Florham Park and the New York Jets have arrived with what many hope is a new attitude and renewed focus on winning under head coach Aaron Glenn.
If there is one word to describe the Jets offseason, it's uneventful...and that's a good thing. Owner Woody Johnson has stepped out of the way to let his new general manager Darren Mougey rebuild the roster. The players are excited and have completely bought into Glenn as he works to change the culture of the organization.
There was no drama, no distractions and no cryptic social media posts from unhappy players. That's a surprise in and of itself. But, the Jets made some other moves that were surprising, some in a good way while others that had many scratching their heads.
Here are the five most surprising decisions the Jets made this offseason:
Releasing Aaron Rodgers Early and Painlessly
The fate of quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the Jets was easily the elephant in the room this offseason. While there were some reports saying Glenn was interested in bringing Rodgers back, it was also fair to wonder if the hall of fame quarterback could work with a rookie offensive coordinator in Tanner Engstrand. The Jets could not afford to let this drag out for too long as it would have easily cost them Justin Fields or any other quarterback should Rodgers decide to take his sweet time before retiring.
It didn't take Glenn long to rip the band-aid off telling Rodgers to his face they were moving on with a different quarterback. He was not going to let this be a distraction and he was not going to allow Rodgers to hold their offseason hostage. Rodgers was stunned and not in a good way. He badmouthed Glenn and the organization to Pat McAfee. At that point, no one cared. He closed the book on Rodgers quickly and that was a clear sign this was now Aaron Glenn's team and no player would ever be above the head coach.
Not Selecting a Defensive Lineman with any of their 2025 draft picks
The Jets run defense was a disaster for most of last year as opposing running backs shredded them on a weekly basis. It was clear one of the major areas the Jets needed to address during free agency and the draft was on the defensive line.
The Jets had plenty of cap space, but opted not to go for the big fish like former Eagles defensive lineman Milton Williams, who ultimately signed with the Patriots. Instead, Darren Mougey took the moneyball approach, signing Byron Cowart, Jay Tufele and Derrick Nnadi to one-year contracts to replace Javon Kinlaw and rotate in with Quinnen Williams.
It was widely assumed the Jets would look to the draft to shore up the position as this was a strong class for interior defensive linemen. And yet, the Jets did not select one defensive lineman with any of their draft picks. It was a very risky move to roll the dice on three veteran linemen with not much of a track record instead of taking advantage of a strong draft class to solidify a major area of need for years to come.
Locking Up Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner with contract extensions
The Jets do not have a good track record of re-signing their homegrown players to second contracts. It's either a financial issue or the player is tired of all the losing and prefers to be traded to a contender. During last offseason, Joe Douglas inexplicably dragged out contract talks with Quinnen Williams and Q vented his frustrations on social media. The deal got done, but the drama surrounding it was unnecessary.
The 2022 draft class is arguably the best in Jets history, but, everyone knew the bill was coming due and Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner were looking for new contracts. After slogging through a 5-12 season, multiple reports indicated that Wilson would look for a trade as he was frustrated with his role in the offense and did not have a great relationship with Aaron Rodgers. Gardner was looking to become the highest paid corner in the league, but wasn't looking to make waves and made it clear he wanted to stay in New York.
Had this been Joe Douglas, these contract talks could have taken an ugly turn and been a major distraction as training camp began. It wouldn't have been surprising to see Wilson and Sauce hold out, which would have had the media buzzards circling around the organization ready to label the New York Jets as a circus for not paying their top players.
But, not only did Mougey make Sauce the highest paid cornerback in the league and Wilson one of the highest paid receivers, the deals were done quietly with absolutely no drama in negotiations. It also sent a message to the entire Jets locker room that things are changing for the better and they are focused on winning.
The Brandon Stephens Contract
Outside of the $40 million the Jets gave Fields, the rest of the signings were mostly one-year contracts for players that may have deserved a bigger role on their former teams. But, it was a bit puzzling for the Jets to give cornerback Brandon Stephens a three year, $36 million contract to start opposite Sauce Gardner after a brutal final season in Baltimore.
Glenn loves tall cornerbacks and Stephens fits the bill at 6’1”. But, he struggled big time in coverage last season, finishing with a PFF grade of 50.7, ranking him 174th out of 222 cornerbacks. He allowed 65 receptions, which was fifth worst in the league. Not exactly the type of stats to justify paying that kind of money, but Glenn believes his physical style is perfect for this defense. Opposing quarterbacks will avoid throwing towards Gardner and will probably pick on Stephens quite a bit this season. Let's hope he rewards Glenn's confidence in his abilities and lives up to the contract.
Keeping Allen Lazard and Getting Him to Take a Pay Cut
Once Rodgers and Davante Adams were released, it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Lazard would be cut for cap savings. He still had $22 million left on his contract but there was no guaranteed money left on the deal. However, in a stunning move, not only did the team elect to keep Lazard, he agreed to a massive pay cut to stay with the Jets.
While drops were a major issue for Lazard, he got off to a great start last season, scoring five touchdowns in his first six games. But, he missed a few games due to injuries and while he was out, the Jets acquired Adams in a trade with the Raiders, which made Lazard an afterthought once he returned.
For Lazard to take a pay cut, he must really believe in what Glenn is selling. The Jets have plenty of wide receivers on the roster, but outside of Garrett Wilson, no one that puts fear into opposing defenses. For now, Josh Reynolds is listed as the current WR2, but Lazard could definitely challenge for that spot with a strong camp. This is a move that is a win-win for both sides. The Jets have another veteran receiver on a cheaper deal and if they like what they see from their younger players such as Malachi Corley or rookie Arian Smith, Lazard's will be very easy to trade before the start of the season.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: The Jets Offseason was Boring....and that's a good thing!
Category: Football
