'Jet for life'? Projecting a contract extension for Jets WR Garrett Wilson
"I'm hopeful that I'm a Jet for life."
That's what New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson said Wednesday when asked about the potential of a new contract.
For that hope to become a reality, he and the Jets would need to come to terms on an extension. As a three-year veteran, the wideout has been eligible to negotiate a new deal, but he has yet to join fellow 2022 draftees Derek Stingley Jr., Cam Jurgens and Brock Purdy in signing an extension.
However, the Jets did exercise Wilson's fifth-year option earlier this year, which could indicate the willingness of the team's new regime – general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn – to keep him around for a while longer.
But as things stand right now, the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year will hit free agency after the 2026 season.
If Wilson and the Jets were to negotiate a new deal, what would a new contract look like for the wideout?
Garrett Wilson contract extension projection
- Projection: Four years, $120 million
Wilson is in a great spot to negotiate his new deal after a 2024 season that was his personal best yet. His 101 catches, 1,104 receiving yards and seven touchdowns were all career-high marks, as was his 65.6 catch percentage on 154 targets.
Wilson can also point to his consistency despite the subpar quarterback play he's been paired with over the first three years of his career. The former No. 10 overall pick has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first three seasons as the Jets trotted out six different starting quarterbacks in that span.
In February, Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that Wilson was seeking a contract extension that would pay him around $30 million per year. That mark would tie him with the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill and the San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk for seventh highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL – just above Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins and below Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Given Wilson's age – he turns 25 in July – as well as his consistent production and an ever-rising salary cap, a contract identical to Aiyuk's and Hill's is a solid projection for the Jets' top receiver.