Jets safety D.J. Reed has been something the team hasn’t been fully used to having in recent years: a successful free-agent signing. Reed joined the Jets in 2022 as a free agent from the Seattle Seahawks, signing a three-year deal. He is now entering the final year of that contract but says “it’s been chill vibes” when it comes to either getting an extension or testing the free-agent waters in 2025, saying: “Quite honestly, the ball is in the Jets’ court.”
“I love being here, but I’m not really stressing about it,” Reed said this week regarding his contract during minicamp. “I’m here, I’m gonna be here in training camp.”
Reed added: “I signed a three-year deal, so I expect to play the three years here and go into free agency. But, I do love New York, I love playing here, love the coaches and the organization. Woody [Johnson] took care of me last time. And, yeah, I love my teammates, so we’ll see.”
While Reed isn’t worried about his contract, he is focused on helping the Jets continue boasting one of the top defenses in the NFL as they enter an important season for the franchise.
“We definitely have an identity, we definitely have a standard,” Reed said, via Yahoo Sports. “And it’s just holding each other accountable every day to that standard. That’s what I expect,” he said, adding that the standard is getting all 11 players on defense “running to the ball” and bringing a level of physicality to the opposition.
“But not just running to the ball just to be running to the ball, it’s like a deliberate making sure that you’re tracking, so, if it’s a cutback that you’re able to tackle the running back or the ball carrier. And also just that physical tenacity that we play with in all phases from the d-line to the linebackers to the secondary.”
In two seasons with the Jets, Reed has started 32 games and recorded 21 passes defended and two interceptions, forming arguably the best duo and even trio of cornerbacks in the NFL with Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II. He is still just 27 years old — he doesn’t turn 28 until November.
Reed is, very arguably, the top pending free agent for the Jets for 2025. Per Over the Cap, the Jets are sitting with almost $60 million in salary cap space for next year. Should the Jets want to work something out with Reed, they’ll have the cap space next year to do so. They are somewhat cap-strapped heading into this summer with about $6 million in space. Reed is set to make $10.5 million this season, so an extension (and thus, lowering Reed’s 2024 cap number) could dual-purpose for the Jets and Reed.