Three takeaways from Garrett Wilson's historic contract with Jets

A rather routine Monday in July turned out to be an exciting day for New York Jets fans when multiple NFL insiders broke the news that superstar wide receiver Garrett Wilson had signed a new 4-year deal with the Jets worth $130 million, $90 million of which is guaranteed. This contract also made a bit of NFL history, not for the money but for the timing. According to Rich Cimini, who covers the Jets for ESPN, this is the first time a receiver has earned more than $31 million per year on average after playing just three seasons in the NFL.

Here are three takeaways for Jets fans now that Wilson has finally inked an extension.

1. The Jets are finally acting like a serious franchise

Let’s just be honest: there are a handful of NFL franchises that are best known for their sheer incompetence and organizational dysfunction. For years, the Jets have been one of them and the fiasco that was the 2024 season did not help their reputation. That could change soon and this contract is evidence of that. We’ve recently seen other teams who are also generally known for their ineptitude drag their feet in getting deals done with young, superstar receivers. Luckily for the fans, the Jets got a deal done with Wilson as soon as he was eligible for one. That’s good business and a smart football decision, too.

2. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is next

The Jets had previously expressed an interest in getting both of their stellar first-round picks from the 2022 draft class signed at roughly the same time. With Wilson’s deal now done, they can focus more intently on getting Gardner signed to an extension, which should also run well north of $30 million per year on average.

3. The youth movement in New York is taking over

Unless Justin Fields has a historic breakout season in 2025, Wilson is the clear leader of this offense despite his young age. This is not a role he could take on as a rookie, nor over the last two years when NFL legend and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers was in the locker room. But now, with a contract extension and three seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards under his belt, Wilson is the unquestioned leader of the offense.