With the Jets season coming to a close, the team has a decision to make about impending free agent wide receiver Robby Anderson.
Anderson has a big opportunity to cash-in as the fourth-year receiver out of Temple will hit free agency for the first time in his career. Since Anderson and the Jets failed to come to terms on a contract extension prior to the beginning of the regular season, his price tag has gone up and he will likely command around upwards of $12 million on the open market.
At 26 years old and entering the prime of his career, Anderson is in a position to earn the biggest contract of his NFL career. With this in mind, a hometown discount for the Jets during bidding for his mind doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
“You got to talk to my agent,” Anderson told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News following the Jets 13-6 win over Buffalo. “I don’t think that makes sense.”
After a slow start to the season, Anderson had a second-half surge that could earn him a nice payday. He finished the season with 52 receptions for 779 yards and five touchdowns.
“I would say that I played the cards that I was dealt and made the most out of what I could,” Anderson said of his 2019 season.
Anderson will be seeking a contract similar to what receivers Tyrell Williams, Sterling Shepard and Tyler Boyd have signed recently. He is going to command a competitive market in free agency given his ability to take the top off the defense and game-breaking speed. Also working in Anderson’s favor is his underneath route-running skills, which developed nicely as 2019 progressed.
The Jets would be wise to get Anderson signed to a long-term deal before the legal-tampering period begins. Just don’t expect him to take a cheaper deal with the team that took a shot on him as an undrafted free agent.