The NY Jets secured one of the core members of their defense for the foreseeable future on Tuesday, signing standout nickel cornerback Michael Carter II to a three-year, $30.75 million extension.
Carter becomes the first Joe Douglas draft pick to receive a multi-year extension, as the Jets were able to retain and reward one of their homegrown stars. The former Duke star received the first of many expected upcoming extensions for the Jets organization.
But while the Carter extension is obviously great news for the Jets' defense, it's not-so-great news for another key member of the roster. We're talking about Carter's position-mate, D.J. Reed.
Much like Carter was prior to his extension, Reed is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2024 and is scheduled to be a free agent this upcoming offseason. Unfortunately, the writing is on the wall for Reed's eventual departure.
The Jets are going to have to make some very difficult contract decisions over the next couple of years. The likes of Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Jermaine Johnson all become extension-eligible next offseason. All four are expected to get paid at some point.
That's not even accounting for players like Alijah Vera-Tucker, Quincy Williams, and others who could also receive hefty paydays in the near future. The Jets can't pay everyone — that's just a reality teams face in today's NFL.
Reed is an excellent player who has exceeded expectations since signing a three-year, $33 million contract with the Jets prior to the 2022 season. He's arguably the NFL's best No. 2 cornerback and would be a No. 1 corner on quite a few teams.
But there is no more obvious player on the Jets' roster to let walk in free ageny than Reed.
The Jets already have the best cornerback in the NFL in Gardner and arguably the league's top slot cornerback in Carter. Reed is an important part of the Jets' defense, but he's not nearly as much of a necessity as some of the other players that need to be paid.
Extending Carter over Reed always made sense, given the discrepancy between the outside and nickel cornerback markets. While Carter is now the NFL's highest-paid nickel cornerback, he's still making less than $11 million per year. That's only $2 million more than Gardner, who is still on his rookie contract.
Reed, assuming he has another strong year, is going to command significantly more on the open market. It's hard to justify paying him when the team has so many other upcoming contracts to worry about.
Ideally, the Jets will be able to go the internal route as they search for Reed's replacement. Qwan'Tez Stiggers and Jarrick Bernard-Converse figure to be in the conversation to start in 2025 as low-cost internal options. That would be a perfect scenario for the Jets.
It's also important to note that Reed turns 28 years old this season and his next contract will carry him into his 30s. There's genuine concern that Reed's style of play, especially with his body type, could age poorly. That's absolutely something the Jets are considering as well.
All of this leads to the conclusion that Reed is very likely playing his final season with the Jets in 2024. He's an excellent player who deserves another payday, but it's hard to imagine it coming from the Jets.
And that's probably for the best.
