The Jets must really want Ryan Griffin to stick around, as New York preemptively exercised its 2021 option on the tight end, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Griffin signed a three-year extension with the Jets last November that can earn him up to $10.8 million with incentives, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The deal also includes $4 million in guaranteed money.
Making a strong impression in the 13 games he started last season, Griffin had 34 catches for 320 yards and five touchdowns before ankle surgery landed him on injured reserve for the remaining three games.
The Jets took a chance on Griffin last July, two months after the Texans cut him due to an arrest that stemmed from Houston taking another tight end in the 2019 NFL Draft.
With Chris Herndon suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season, the Jets needed to find Sam Darnold a security blanket and Griffin quickly became one of the young quarterback’s favorite targets.
With Griffin, Herndon and Trevon Wesco manning the tight end room, the Jets have one less position group to worry about for the foreseeable future.