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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.– A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1. Cloudy futures: Wide receivers Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson are under contract for next season, but that doesn’t mean the Adams-Wilson tandem will ride again.
Adams said his future with the Jets is “a great question, and I truly don’t have the answer to it right now.” He cited his contract situation ($38.4 million cap charge in 2025) and Aaron Rodgers‘ uncertain status as factors in his decision. He and Rodgers are very close. If Rodgers is gone, which is likely, it sounds like Adams might want out, too.
Wilson said the outcome of the Rodgers saga will have no bearing on his loyalty to the organization.
“No impact. No impact,” Wilson told ESPN. “I’ve been here with Aaron, and I’ve been here without him. No impact.”
A receiver’s livelihood can heavily depend on the quality of his quarterback. For Wilson, who is under contract through 2026 (counting his fifth-year option), it’s especially important. That’s because he’s eligible for a new contract in 2025, and the Jets’ QB choice will affect his earning power if he doesn’t get an extension before the start of the season.
Some players in his position would ask for a trade, looking for a greener pasture. At this point, there’s no indication that Wilson is thinking that way, but know this: He’s frustrated by the losing and the dysfunction on offense. Rodgers, 41, hasn’t performed up to expectations, one of many issues on offense.
“Whoever they send me out there with, I’m going to put my best foot forward and try to show that I belong, that I’m one of the guys in this league that’s a great player,” Wilson said, alluding to the 2025 quarterback situation. “So I just have to figure out a way to prove that. I thought it would be easier this year. It hasn’t been.”
Asked why it hasn’t worked out, Wilson didn’t offer any specifics, saying only he prepared well for the season and it just hasn’t clicked on offense. He has 74 receptions and 763 yards, which means he’s on pace to become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 80 catches and 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. The others: Odell Beckham Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Michael Thomas.
Did someone say Pro Bowl?
“I don’t see that happening,” Wilson said. “Maybe if the season ended after Week 7.”
Like everything else with the Jets, Wilson’s production has tailed off — 14 catches, 100 yards, zero touchdowns in the last three games.
As for Adams, he controls his own destiny. With a prohibitive cap charge, he’ll have to renegotiate his contract to return in 2025. If he balks, the Jets will have no choice but to release him, and he’d be a free agent.
2. Did you know? The Jets have produced a league-low five pass plays of at least 30 yards, none in the last three games. That’s hard to fathom, considering the skill-position talent.
3. Weird slump: Rodgers has 34 consecutive starts with fewer than 300 passing yards, the longest active streak in the NFL (no other quarterback has an active streak of at least 20 starts) and 22 games more than his previous long (2015-2016).
He’s aware of drought, and it bothers him.
“It’s a weird one, for sure,” Rodgers said. “[I’d] love to get rid of that one, but there’s a lot of stats that I’ve been on the right side of. That one is not one of my favorites, for sure.”
4. It’s all relative: Rodgers is having a disappointing year by most standards, yet, he’s having one of the best statistical seasons in franchise history. He’s on pace for 27 touchdown passes and 3,721 yards, which would rank third and fifth, respectively, on the single-season list. His current QBR (48.2) ranks fifth.
Of course, this is more of a commentary on the Jets’ sad history than it is a compliment for Rodgers. It also disproves the popular narrative that was circulating after he arrived in 2023. The Jets’ roster was so good, people said, that all they need is an average season from Rodgers. Well, how does that look now?
5. Triple the fun: Irvin Charles made one of the best plays of the season last week, and it didn’t get that much attention. A gunner on punt coverage, he defeated a triple-team, raced downfield and made the tackle. Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said he’s never seen anything like that before.
“Irv’s had a monster year,” Boyer said. “If you can find me a better special teamer in this league, I’d like to see it.”
Charles said it was the first time he encountered a triple-team.
“In the back of my mind, I’m like, ‘How can I make sure they don’t do this again?’ Because you have to win, right?” he said. “So I won. And after that one, they didn’t do that again.”
The Jets believe Charles is Pro Bowl-worthy.
6. Gang green: They got some nice contributions from their 2024 draft class last week, led by left tackle Olu Fashanu and running backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Look for more of the same in the coming weeks as the Jets try to give experience to some of the younger players. 7. The end? It’s not a stretch to wonder if linebacker C.J. Mosley has played his last game as a Jet. The captain was hoping to return this week from a herniated disc in his neck, but he is out for the season after being placed on injured reserve Friday — appearing in only four games. Mosley, 32, who lost his starting job to Jamien Sherwood, probably will be a cap casualty in the offseason. There isn’t a more respected player in the locker room. He arrived in 2019, hoping to turn the Jets into a consistent winner. He did and said all the right things, but not every player gets a happily-ever-after ending. 8. Eye opening: The Jets are carrying nearly $60 million in “dead” money on this year’s salary cap, about 24% of the entire cap. The crazy part? The top three charges belong to players that were on teams that beat them this season — Laken Tomlinson, Seattle Seahawks, $10.7 million; John Franklin-Myers, Denver Broncos, $9.1 million; and Zach Wilson, Broncos, $8.5 million. 9. Gloom over Miami: South Florida is supposed to be a welcoming locale for New Yorkers, but that doesn’t apply to the Jets. Oh, sure, the biggest win in franchise history occurred in Miami (Super Bowl III in 1969), but have you checked the latest results? The Jets haven’t won in Miami since 2014, Rex Ryan’s final game as coach. They’ve lost eight in a row (the 2015 game was in London), forgetting to pack their offense on some of the most recent trips. They haven’t scored a touchdown in Miami since 2021; they’ve managed just three offensive touchdowns in the last six trips to Miami. Maybe Ulbrich can change the mojo by pulling a Ryan. In deference to the Super Bowl victory, Ryan opened the 2014 game with the same play that Joe Namath & Co. ran to start the Super Bowl game — a run to the left behind an unbalanced line. What do they have to lose? 10. The Last Word: “I just re-did my house here in Jersey. My goal was to play a few more years here, but we’ll see.” — Rodgers on his future with the Jets.