The new Jets regime made possibly their biggest statement yet.
With two homegrown players eager for contract extensions on their hands, they committed to one of them on Monday.
The Jets and Garrett Wilson agreed to a four-year, $130 million extension that includes $90 million guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported and a source confirmed to The Post.
The star receiver is now under contract through 2030 and is the first receiver in NFL history to receive an average over $31 million after playing only three seasons.
Wilson and Sauce Gardner are two foundational pieces on a team that is hoping to turn the page this upcoming season. There is no Aaron Rodgers to consider. There is no Robert Saleh nor Joe Douglas.
General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn had several reasons to start fresh after another disappointing season for Gang Green. Yet, their willingness to keep one of the core players that they inherited speaks volumes.
Mougey wasn’t a big spender in free agency. The Jets signed quarterback Justin Fields on a two-year, $40 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, but not any other high-profile free agents.
Wilson, who is the first Jets first-round pick to be extended after a third season since the NFL’s current financial system went into effect in 2011, has a $32.5 million average — which is the fifth-highest average for a wide receiver in the league. Only receivers Ja’Marr Chase ($40.25 million), Justin Jefferson ($35M), CeeDee Lamb ($34M) and DK Metcalf ($33M) make more.
Wilson and Gardner are at the top of Mougey’s to-do list, and extending the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year is his biggest financial decision yet.
In a way, there were signs in the spring that it would come to fruition.
Wilson, along with Gardner, notably were present around the Jets camp during the offseason, including for voluntary workouts. Both could have gone on to use their absence as leverage, as many athletes often do to further push for their desired contract.
Wilson showed at every voluntary workout in the spring and it was likely a sign that negotiations between the two parties were going well.
Wilson, who turns 25 on July 22, had another impressive season in 2024 in tallying 101 catches, 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns, which all are career highs in his third year.
Since arriving as the No. 10 overall draft pick in 2022, he has played in every game and has logged over 1,000 yards each season on passes from seven quarterbacks.
Getting a deal done made sense for the Jets and Wilson, who expressed hope to stay in New York.
“I’m hopeful I’m a Jet for life and we get this thing rolling and that all of our best days are ahead of us,” Wilson said in May. “I don’t know exactly what that looks like, but I’m going to go do my part to make sure that it’s undeniable when the time does come.”
Yet, this interest wasn’t always apparent as the 2024 season was drawing to a close.
The highly anticipated connection between him and Rodgers never quite found its spark. Additionally, the midseason arrival of the future Hall of Famer’s former teammate in Green Bay, Davante Adams, didn’t improve matters for Wilson as he saw less reps and was downgraded to the second option.
The Jets went 5-12 last year after Wilson endured 7-10 seasons in 2022 and 2023. It all led to visible frustration on the field.
However, upon the arrival of Fields, who was his quarterback at Ohio State for two years, there is a new spark seen in Wilson.
“I didn’t think we’d get this opportunity on this level,” Wilson said of playing with Fields. “It’s exciting. I’m still taking it in all the way. It’s cool. We’ve definitely been picking up where we left off.”
