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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1. No discount double-check: Another season of Aaron Rodgers would mean far-reaching salary-cap implications for the incoming regime — a major factor in the decision on whether to retain the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Rodgers is signed for 2025 (he has four void years, through 2029), but there’s no guaranteed money remaining in his deal. That will help mitigate the cap ramifications when he’s gone, but the damage still will be significant.
Let’s examine the financial pros and cons of another year.
If Rodgers doesn’t play for the Jets in 2025 — if he’s cut or retires — the Jets have a $49 million “dead” charge, which is an accumulation of pro-rated bonuses from past years. That’s a substantial cap hit, more than double his cap charge if he’s on the roster ($23.5 million).
The $49 million can be spread over two years by designating him a post-June 1 cut — $14 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. For long-term planning purposes, it might make sense to absorb the full hit next year, creating cap flexibility for the future.
Now let’s say Rodgers returns in 2025. While the cap charge ($23.5 million) would be manageable, they’d have to pay him a $35 million option bonus by the first regular-season game in addition to a $2.5 million base salary.
Now, the downside. If he does come back for one year, the dead charge balloons to $63 million in 2026. The reason for the increase is the option bonus, which would be pro-rated for cap purposes over the length of the contract (the void years) and then accelerate into 2026 upon his departure.
Once again, they could use the June 1 designation, but then you’re talking about spreading money into 2027 — $21 million in 2026 and $42 million in 2027. Does a new regime really want to be paying off the Rodgers bill until 2027?
They could renegotiate the $35 million option bonus if they want to keep him, but that would only push more money into the back end of the deal — hardly ideal. What about a straight pay cut? Rodgers took a voluntary $34 million pay cut last year, so it seems unlikely that he’d want to give back more money.
Rodgers’ future will be a talking point for the next few months. He said he’s undecided on whether he’ll play next year. If he does, the Jets are his No. 1 option.
“I’m open to everything and attached to nothing,” Rodgers said.
Maybe so, but that massive cap hit is attached to him.
2. Let the searches begin: Owner Woody Johnson’s decision to hire an outside firm led by someone he fired 12 years ago — former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum — was met with predictable skepticism. It’s a weird optic, to be sure, but there is merit to the way the Jets are approaching their general manager and head coaching searches — in theory, anyway.
Clearly, Johnson, despite 25 years of ownership, doesn’t feel comfortable in conducting his own searches. Tannenbaum and his partner in this project, former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman, are two front-office veterans who work together on The 33rd Team, a media and technology company that will provide research and help identify candidates.
Spielman, speaking on an NFL on CBS podcast, offered some insight into the process. He said he already has interviewed “a lot of the guys” that will end up being on their list of recommendations to the Jets. He met them through the NFL’s Coach Accelerator Program (designed to boost inclusion) and through his past work as a consultant. In addition to assisting the Washington Commanders last year in their searches, he has “interviewed” prospective candidates who coveted his feedback.
“I’m just a scout in the corner,” Spielman said of his Jets’ assignment. “I will give my opinion. I will help with the interviews. I will talk to a lot of sources out there, collect a lot of information and give the information” to the Jets.
Johnson used a similar approach in 2015, hiring former GMs Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf as consultants. Casserly wielded considerable influence in the process, and they wound up hiring two people with ties to him — coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan.
The end result? Four seasons, no playoff appearances.
The line between information gatherer and influencer can get blurry, especially since Johnson has been known to let outside voices affect his thinking. In this case, the Jets are saying Tannenbaum/Spielman will have a “support role,” not consultant positions.
In the end, Johnson will make the final decisions, according to the Jets. Of course, he will be choosing from candidates recommended by Tannenbaum/Spielman.
3. Captain Fantastic: Rodgers will have no juice in the selection process, and it doesn’t sound like he’s looking for a seat at the table. “I’m always available if my opinion is wanted, but I’m going to focus on playing right now,” he said. “If I get drawn in those conversations, fantastic. If I don’t, it’s fantastic, too.”
4. Red-shirt year: Quarterback Jordan Travis remains the mystery man of the 2024 draft class. That horrific ankle injury from college remains an issue, as he has suffered “some setbacks” and is “still struggling through a few things,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said.
The former Florida State star, drafted in the fifth round, became ineligible to practice and play this season when he was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in August. The hope was that he’d be able to do some work on the side, but that has been curtailed. It has turned into a year of classroom learning.
When they drafted him, the Jets thought he’d be ready this season.
5. Reddick tries to recoup: Edge rusher Haason Reddick cost himself millions with his long holdout. Now he’s costing himself more money with his sluggish start. His revised one-year contract includes a sack incentive, but he needs eight sacks to hit a $500,000 bonus. Reddick has only 0.5 sacks in four games, so it may be tough to get 7.5 over the final six games.
He’s on pace to hit a 40% playing-time incentive — a $791,628 bonus. That, coupled with his base salary, will bring his 2024 compensation to $9.5 million. He was scheduled to make $14.5 million before the holdout. Factoring in fines and lost wages, Reddick probably will wind up losing at least $7 million because of the holdout.
Ulbrich praised Reddick, saying “his effort is off the chain.” His presence has allowed the Jets to blitz less frequently, but the pass-rush production hasn’t improved with him.
In seven games without Reddick, their sack rate and pressure percentage were at 9.3% and 39.2%, respectively. In four games with him, it’s 9.4% and 36.0%, per Next Gen Stats.
6. Burn the script: It’s probably likely that neither the Jets nor the Seattle Seahawks will score a touchdown Sunday on their opening drive when the two face off. After all, they’re among seven teams that haven’t done it.
This is a major issue for the Jets, who average an NFL-worst 15.5 yards on their first drive, according to ESPN Research. Over the last five seasons, the only teams with worse marks are the 2023 Jets (14.7) and 2021 Titans (15.4).
7. Leo’s back: One of the first big moves by former GM Joe Douglas was dealing defensive tackle Leonard Williams and his expiring contract to the New York Giants at the 2019 trading deadline. The move made sense because the Jets were heading into a full-blown rebuild. They received two draft picks, a 2020 third-rounder (safety Ashtyn Davis) and a 2021 fifth rounder (nickel back Michael Carter II).
Meanwhile, Williams, 30, enjoyed a nice run with the Giants and is now flourishing with the Seahawks. He has done quite well for himself — $130 million in career earnings, per Spotrac.
8. Geno’s back: This won’t be former 2013 second-pick Geno Smith‘s first start against the Jets — he beat them in 2022 in Seattle — but it will be his first against them in MetLife Stadium, his former home. It’s already been nine years since that infamous locker-room fracas, when Smith got punched in the face by former teammate IK Enemkpali. Time flies.
9. No fun day: Sunday hasn’t been kind to the Jets — a 1-6 record. Silver lining, four of the losses were by six points or less.
10. The Last Word: “I’ve never seen people getting fired, so I’m new to this, especially when it’s some people that have put millions of dollars in my pocket for me to change my life and my family’s lives.” — Cornerback Sauce Gardner on the firings of Douglas and coach Robert Saleh.
