Linebacker Jordan Jenkins led the Jets in sacks the past two seasons, but it doesn’t appear he’ll remain with the sack-needy team now that he’s a free agent for the first time in his four-year career.
Jenkins, a third-round pick in 2016 out of Georgia, wants to stay with Jets, according to ESPN. But he wants to get paid like the other pass-rushers he’s seen earn upwards of $30 million and, according to multiple reports, he doesn’t like what the Jets are offering him.
This fits with Joe Douglas mentality when it comes to contracts: the GM will only pay what he thinks a player is worth. While Jenkins finished with a team-high eight sacks in 2019 – the same as other pass-rush specialists Von Miller, Frank Clark and Yannick Ngakoue – he isn’t regarded as a top-flight outside linebacker. He’s undersized as a true edge rusher at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds and has only recorded multiple sacks in three games the past two seasons.
Despite all this, Jenkins is definitely an above-average pass-rusher who blitzed 116 times the past two seasons and tallied nine quarterback hits and 15 sacks. He also performed admirably against double-teams with more than an 18 percent win-rate, per ESPN’s Seth Walder.
The Jets still need pass-rush help after missing out on the bigger, more expensive players this free agency. Jadeveon Clowney is the shiniest prize left on the market, but his price is likely too high for Douglas’ taste given his prudency thus far. The rest of the best options available are either inconsistent or older. Despite Jenkins’ contract demands, it might be in the Jets’ best interest to try and keep him given his proven ability and comfortability in Gregg Williams’ defense. They still have $36 million in cap space after their first wave of signings.
For now, though, Jenkins and the Jets remain unable to agree on a deal.