Jets have three players they can build around as new era begins

It's a new era for the New York Jets, and boy, do they need one badly.

The last one ended in disaster after they attached themselves to an aging quarterback with an ego problem in Aaron Rodgers. That led to the ousting of former general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh.

The Jets started over at both positions, bringing in Aaron Glenn as head coach and hiring Darren Mougey from the Denver Broncos as GM.

The new regime decided to let Rodgers go, much to his consternation, and now they've got a fresh slate.

That doesn't mean everything from the past has to go, though. This is a rebuild, not a fire sale. Douglas, for his faults, did bring some talent to New York via the NFL Draft, and now this new regime, led by Mougey and Glenn, is making sure that those players are being taken care of heading into 2025.

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported that the Jets plan on picking up the fifth-year options of cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and defensive end Jermaine Johnson.

Gardner was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He's a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. They then picked up Wilson out of Ohio State, and he quickly became one of the league's most explosive young wide receivers. He's played three seasons so far and has totaled over 1,000 yards receiving in each to go along with 14 total touchdowns.

Finally, there's Johnson, who was the 26th overall pick in that draft. He missed much of the 2024 season because of an Achilles tendon surgery, but in 2023, he notched 7.5 sacks and an interception.

All three players are young, they're hungry, and the Jets likely want to keep them around for a long time. They're now also eligible for contract extensions, but one thing at a time for the Jets.

According to Over the Cap, Gardner's fifth-year option projection is $20.2 million, Wilson's is $16.8 million and Johnson's is $13.4 million.

These three players have earned extensions and will help the Jets to hopefully usher in a brighter future.