The Jets’ Future is Tied to Wilson and Gardner Decisions

This isn’t the first time the Jets have faced key negotiations with star players. They’ve had their share of disputes that have resulted in holdouts, trades, and some disappointing returns.

Although the Jets are under a new front office regime since these previous instances, it’s worth looking back to see how the franchise handled similar situations in the past.

The Darrelle Revis Holdout

Coming off an all-time great season in 2009, Jets legendary cornerback Darrelle Revis stood up to the front office in 2010.

Revis sent Hall of Fame receivers like Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, and Terrell Owens on trips to the infamous Revis Island, routinely holding star wideouts to under 35 yards.

With three years remaining on his rookie contract, Revis wanted a new deal. He was playing at a high level and wanted to become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL to surpass Nnamdi Asomugha‘s three-year, $45.3 million deal with the Raiders.

Revis didn’t participate in training camp due to his displeasure with his salary at the time. The holdout lasted 35 days.

On the 36th day, the Jets and Revis agreed to terms on a new contract. Revis signed a four-year deal worth $46 million, with $32 million guaranteed. He returned just before the team’s Week 1 matchup with Baltimore.

The holdout was hugely successful for Revis and would inspire players in the future to take similar action for their contracts.

However, the deal wasn’t nearly as beneficial for the Jets. They traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013 as the franchise pivoted in a rebuild. Revis would later return in 2015, and when he retired in 2018, he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Jet.

The Fall of Fitz-Magic

Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Jets to 10 wins in 2015—the last time the franchise has finished a season with a winning record. Fitzpatrick threw for 31 touchdowns, setting the single-season record in Jets franchise history. And yet, the team still missed the playoffs.

After a heartbreaking end to the season, Fitzpatrick was a free agent. He set career-high marks across the board. There was mutual interest in his return, but instead, a messy standoff took place.

The Jets offered Fitzpatrick a three-year contract for $24 million, but he wanted to be paid close to Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford, who were making $15 million per year.

Jets star wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who had a career season with Fitzpatrick at the helm, missed OTAs alongside fellow receiver Eric Decker. While Marshall wouldn’t confirm at the time whether his absence was related to Fitzpatrick, he later revealed it was due to the quarterback’s contract dispute.

Fitzpatrick and the Jets remained apart on a deal for months, leading up to training camp, when the Jets gave Fitzpatrick one last offer. If he refused, they would look for a new quarterback. Instead, Fitzpatrick accepted the one-year, $12 million contract. Marshall was happy, Fitzpatrick was happy, and the team looked to replicate the success they had the year prior.

Unfortunately for the Jets, Fitzpatrick regressed heavily in 2016. He threw for 12 touchdowns and 2,710 yards, both drastically down from the season prior. He also threw 17 interceptions, as the Jets finished the season 5-11. After drawn-out negotiations the year prior, the Jets didn’t re-sign Fitzpatrick the following offseason.

The Jamal Adams Fallout

The Jets drafted Jamal Adams sixth overall in 2017. He became an instant star for them, putting together multiple All-Pro seasons, and became a leader of the team.

In 2018, Adams publicly pitched for the Jets to acquire more “dogs” on their roster. Soon after, the Jets signed Le’Veon Bell. Bell later stated Adams was actively recruiting him and was part of the reason for his signing in New York.

After a 7-9 season in 2019, Adams was growing tired of losing and wanted a contract extension. He was vocal about his desire for a new deal online, and even suggested it was time to move on.

With fans concerned, Bell reached out to talk to Adams. After talking, Bell believed that Adams wanted to stay, but wanted a contract extension more.

He and the Jets never came to an agreement, and New York traded him to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for two first-round picks. Bell expressed frustration online about Adams leaving, though he didn’t last with the team much longer, as the Jets cut him in Week 6.

Though they lost the player, the Jets benefited from the trade. They used the acquired first-round picks on Garrett Wilson and starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.

Re-signing Quinnen Williams

The most recent contract negotiation the Jets dealt with was with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

In 2023, Williams, who the Jets drafted third overall in 2019, showed signs of frustration with the Jets while waiting on his extension. He removed all mentions of the Jets from his social media profile.

The Jets kept the situation under control, signing Williams to a four-year, $96 million extension in July. The deal ended a troubling trend, making Williams the first Jets first-round pick to re-sign with the team since 2016.

What’s Next With Gardner and Wilson?

New York now has a pair of high-stakes contract negotiations to handle. Both Wilson and Gardner are the faces of their respective side of the ball.

Betting on the young duo should be a much safer bet than some of the previous instances. They’ve already proven to be more consistently great than Fitzpatrick ever was in New York.

The Jets should work to get a deal done as soon as possible. Despite the disappointing team success in their first three seasons, Wilson and Gardner still want to be Jets for the time being. While they have a couple of years to strike a deal, a lot can change in that amount of time.

Wilson already voiced displeasure with his role in the offense during the 2024 season. The Jets blundering another relationship like they did with Adams is the worst-case scenario. Another season of mediocrity might be enough to permanently fracture New York’s relationship with Wilson.

Even though Jets made out well with the trade of Adams, removing Wilson from New York’s offense would be detrimental to the team. Between he and Gardner, the positional value they bring at wide receiver and cornerback will be difficult to replace in any deal.

If Wilson asks out, re-signing Gardner would still be beneficial, but the Jets may then be wasting valuable years of his career playing great while the offense can’t score.

The Jets got their deal with Williams done in July. A similar outcome for their two young stars this offseason would be best. The pressure has not yet built, but the weight of the looming negotiations will only get heavier for general manager Darren Mougey.

This isn’t a situation where the Jets can keep one or the other and succeed—they need to do whatever it takes to re-sign both. The outcome of these negotiations will shape the future of the Jets franchise for years to come.