Big Apple circus: Jets star noncommittal to team amid chaos, terrible season

Wilson’s recent comments indicated he would be on board with remaining in New York with or without Rodgers moving forward. In the wake of Sunday’s win over the Jaguars (during which the 24-year-old had a visible outburst with receivers coach Shawn Jefferson), though, Wilson was asked again about the prospect of signing a long-term Jets extension. His response was less certain this time around.

“I don’t know, man,’ Wilson replied, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I just go about my day… If they [extend my contract], that would be a blessing. It would be awesome. I love the Jets. At the end of the day, they were the ones that believed in me. But, yeah, I can’t be worrying about that.”

Wilson’s rookie pact runs through 2025, and the Jets have the ability to exercise his fifth-year option and, in doing so, keep him on the books through at least 2026. Taking that route would come as no surprise, seeing as the Ohio State product is on track to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons in the NFL. Cimini adds, however, that a source familiar with Wilson’s situation “wouldn’t be surprised” if he were to request a trade this offseason.

Trade calls came in prior to this year’s deadline, but then-GM Joe Douglas turned them down. Douglas has since been fired, joining former head coach Robert Saleh in that respect. Wilson did not indicate if the Jets’ next HC and GM hires would influence his desire to sign a long-term deal, but the team does hold his rights for two more seasons — via the option that will almost definitely be exercised by the May deadline — and thus retains the hammer in a potential standoff.

Still, Wilson expressed disappointment with the Jets’ Nathaniel Hackett plan in 2023 and then saw the team retain the OC for 2024. Regardless of Wilson’s feelings about playing with the Jets post-Rodgers, he has seen QB turnover affect his career. The Jets largely saddled him with the wildly disappointing Zach Wilson for two seasons, and before the Adams trade, the team had not done well to provide complementary help. Wilson has scored a career-high six touchdowns, a fact partially highlighting the team’s QB issues from 2022-23, this season and is moving toward a third 1,000-yard campaign.

After a turbulent 2024 that brought a significant step back — and some unusual headlines to close out the year — the Jets have some big-picture issues to navigate in 2025. Beyond the searches for the next GM and head coach, Gang Green has Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall and Jermaine Johnson joining Wilson in being set to become extension-eligible. Despite a rocky season, Gardner presumably remains in the Jets’ long-term plans along with Wilson.

It will be interesting to see how the team approaches Hall and Johnson; the latter can be kept on the books through 2026 via a fifth-year option as well. That said, the Jets may be leery of carrying three fifth-year options on their 2026 payroll. It would then behoove the team to extend one or more of these starters next year, but some moving parts exist thanks to the decision-makers that brought in these talents being out of the picture.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.