The New York Jets pride themselves on their exceptional defense, but one of their key pieces could walk in free agency next winter, which could deal a major blow to their secondary.
Jets cornerback D.J. Reed is in the final year of the three-year, $33 million deal he signed with the franchise in July of 2021. This season carries massive expectations for the Jets to contend for a Super Bowl. Reed will be instrumental in helping last season’s top-rated unit fuel New York toward the Super Bowl, and he appears to have picked up where he left off from the 76 total tackles and nine passes defended that he registered in 2023.
He notched one pass defended in the Jets’ 32-19 Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. If 2024 goes as expected for the 27-year-old, he will be well within his right to demand a higher average salary than the $11 million he’s taking home per year. That would force the Jets to decide if he’s worth allocating over 15 percent of the $88.6 million they have in cap space for 2025 on, should he see a seven-figure raise on his next deal.
Packers named a potential free agent destination for Jets cornerback D.J. Reed
Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department identified the Green Bay Packers as a team that could snag Reed off of the open market after this year concludes, saying this about the potential free agent signing (h/t Jon Conahan of New York Jets on SI):
“With Eric Stokes’ contract about to expire, cornerback currently projects to be one of the biggest offseason needs in Green Bay. Meanwhile, Reed could be in his last year with the Jets seeing as his deal is up at the end of the season and New York has to worry about paying Sauce Gardner. Also, the soon-to-be 28-year-old has thrived in the CB2 role for the Jets … That’d likely be a similar situation to what he’d be walking into with the Packers alongside Jaire Alexander.”
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Will the Jets prioritize Reed on their payroll with CB Sauce Gardner due for an extension?
The Jets do indeed have to prioritize re-upping Sauce Gardner — the league’s best cornerback for two years running — as he is also on the last year of the four-year, $33.4 million rookie deal he signed with the Jets back on May 7, 2022. Whether Reed is serving as the CB2 across from who appears to be the next highest-paid corner in Gardner on the Jets, or next to the current third-highest paid CB in Alexander over in Green Bay, per Over the Cap, what will matter most is the extent of the deal he signs.
Not only are the Packers (0-1) not looked at as championship contenders, which could detract Reed from wanting to join their ranks, but Green Bay may not have the cap space to entice him with top dollars. The Packers have $14.97 million available for this season and $53.08 million for 2025. Thus, any deal more lucrative than the one that Reed is on at the moment will eat into their cap, but should he be high on their priority list come season’s end, the Jets will need to prepare for how they approach Reed, either to retain him or let him walk.
