The New York Jets are a sinking ship in 2024, and with head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas already done dirty with midseason firings, it’s fair to wonder who’s next.
The Aaron Rodgers experiment could be nearing its end, as owner Woody Johnson reportedly pushed his staff to bench the 40-year-old QB after an ugly Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos. The Jets could look to move on from Rodgers this offseason by designating him as a post-June 1 roster cut. Several players could seek their own exit strategies if that’s the case, likely starting with wide receiver Davante Adams.
MORE: Vikings named landing spot for polarizing $112.5 million QB in potential blockbuster
The Jets have some big-name pending free agents — like Haason Reddick, D.J. Reed and Tyron Smith — who could be looking to ditch the ongoing dumpster fire in East Rutherford, New Jersey for a better situation elsewhere.
In his Week 12 AFC scouting reports, Matt Holder of Bleacher Report predicted that Reed will dump the Jets in free agency to join Brian Flores and the ascending Minnesota Vikings. Here was Holder’s take on Reed potentially signing with Minnesota this March:
“We should expect the Vikings to throw multiple darts at the cornerback position in the spring. Minnesota is projected to have $62.9 million in effective cap space next offseason, and Stephon Gilmore, Fabian Moreau, Shaquill Griffin and Byron Murphy are all impending free agents. Minnesota should look to skew young in free agency, since the plan is to build a long-term contender with J.J. McCarthy behind center. New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed, who just turned 28, should hit a sweet spot for the Vikings. Reed has established himself as a dependable starter opposite Sauce Gardner in New York. He's experienced enough to provide some veteran leadership to the defense and young enough to have several good years still ahead of him.”
The Vikings could go a number of different directions with their cornerback room in 2025.
Bryon Murphy Jr. has been a playmaker for Flores, collecting seven interceptions in just 24 games. Minnesota could resume contract talks with Murphy’s camp and hammer out an extension this offseason, after talks reportedly stalled out in the summer.
The team could also run it back with Gilmore, who won a Super Bowl with New England in 2019 with Flores calling the plays and continues to play at a high level.
Reed could certainly be in the discussion, but Minnesota would have to go big in free agency to sign him. Reed has made $11 million per season on average with the Jets, and he’ll be looking to get paid when he hits the open market 2025, as he’s expected to.
Minnesota has found a combination that clicks on defense this season, and they’ll get recent third-round pick Mekhi Blackmon, a 25-year-old corner out of USC, back at some point. They could look to add another young piece in the draft, but the Vikings feel like a better bet to keep some or all of their current guys, then they are to cut bait and go big to win the D.J. Reed sweepstakes in free agency.
