Stay or Go: Should Jets re-sign D.J. Reed?

Reed has had three strong years in New York

1/15/2025, 2:30 PM
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The Jets signed D.J. Reed to a three-year, $33 million contract ahead of the 2022 season, reuniting him with then-head coach Robert Saleh, who had coached him in San Francisco. 

Over the past three years, Reed has formed a formidable cornerback partnership with Sauce Gardner, and many experts felt that he was unlucky not to earn Pro Bowl recognition. However, he’s now a pending free agent and could have many suitors on the open market.

So, should the Jets bring Reed back?

Why Reed should be back

When the Jets signed Reed, there was a belief that Gardner would match up with taller receivers in order to prevent Reed’s lack of size from being exploited. But during the last three seasons, Reed has proven that he can cover just about anyone with his consistent and tenacious performances on the boundary.

As his Jets contract was running out, it became apparent that Reed – who wasn’t offered a contract extension ahead of the season – was looking forward to testing the market in free agency.

However, if he’s keen to get a fresh start, he could find that with the Jets anyway, since they’ll enter the 2025 season with a new coaching staff and, potentially, a different system.

Reed’s last contract proved to be good value, as he started 46 games in three seasons and performed at a consistently high level. But he’s unlikely to command elite cornerback money on this deal, which will likely stretch into his thirties -- so he should be affordable.

With Gardner due for an extension within the next year or so, the Jets may be keen to keep the duo together and avoid the risk of having to replace both in a few years.

New York Jets cornerbacks Sauce Gardner (left) and D.J. Reed (4) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium / Scott Galvin - USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets cornerbacks Sauce Gardner (left) and D.J. Reed (4) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium / Scott Galvin - USA TODAY Sports

Why Reed shouldn’t be back

As already noted, it seems like Reed already has his heart set on leaving or at least testing the market after proving himself over the past few years. It may be difficult to convince him to stick around and there might not be any hope whatsoever of a hometown discount.

The Jets may feel that Reed is starting to regress anyway, in which case they could look to go younger at the position.

Reed has only intercepted two passes in three seasons with the Jets, including none this season. In addition, after only having 12 penalties in his first five seasons in the NFL, Reed was flagged 19 times over the past two years, including a career-high 11 this season.

Injuries haven’t been a major issue for Reed, although after starting every game in 2022, he missed two starts in 2023 and three this season, so it’s possible his durability could be starting to be an issue, which has to be a consideration before signing him to another long-term deal.

In addition, the Jets were somehow 4-1 in the five games Reed missed, suggesting that replacing him with a lower cost player might not downgrade the team as much as you’d think.

Verdict

It seems likely that the Jets would prefer to bring Reed back, but he can’t have been that high of an organizational priority, otherwise they would have made more of an effort to extend him before he hit the open market.

Ultimately, it looks like Reed will test the market and either end up with the highest bidder or in a more attractive destination in terms of realistic immediate playoff aspirations.

Things could change based on whoever the Jets hire as their new head coach and general manager, but right now it seems inevitable that Reed will hit the market.

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