FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Defensive end John Franklin-Myers, one of the New York Jets‘ promising young players on defense, has agreed to a four-year contract extension, a source confirmed Thursday night.
The deal is worth $55 million, including $30 million guaranteed, according to a source.
Franklin-Myers, 25, was in the final year of his rookie contract, making $920,000 in 2021. The extension puts him under contract through 2025.
Franklin-Myers, claimed on waivers from the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, won a starting job in training camp. In four games, he has three sacks, tying a career high, along with five quarterback hits and one forced fumble.
The Jets like Franklin-Myers because of his versatility; he can play inside or outside on the defensive line.
“I would anticipate him having a really good year for us, a career year for himself,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said recently.
Franklin-Myers was a fourth-round pick of the Rams in 2018. As a rookie, he played in the Super Bowl and recorded a strip sack of Tom Brady in the Rams’ loss to the New England Patriots.
Surprisingly, Franklin-Myers was waived the following preseason. The Jets claimed him, but he wound up on injured reserve. In 2020, he emerged as a key part of the defensive-line rotation, recording three sacks.
General manager Joe Douglas is a believer in building a team through the defensive and offensive lines. He signed free agent Carl Lawson to a three-year, $45 million contract, but he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in training camp. He also signed Sheldon Rankins for two years, $11 million.
The next big contract will be Quinnen Williams, the third overall pick in 2019, but he’s not eligible for a new deal until after the season.
The New York Daily News first reported that Franklin-Myers had agreed to an extension.