The New York Jets have flipped the script on a crucial team-building aspect: They’re finally extending their own players.

The Jets’ previous two general managers, Joe Douglas and Mike Maccagnan, combined for just seven contract extensions in nine seasons.

But in the last two years, Darren Mougey has handed out big extensions to Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Jamien Sherwood, and Sauce Gardner, along with smaller extensions for Jeremy Ruckert and Josh Myers, bringing him to six extensions in two years.

Next up to get paid is offensive lineman Joe Tippmann. Based on his play thus far, what should his contract extension look like?

Joe Tippmann has lived up to second round billing

The Jets have asked a lot of Tippmann throughout his career.

Playing center in college, he started at right guard due to a reshuffled offensive line before moving back to center at the end of his rookie year. After playing center in 2024 and throughout the summer of 2025, he had to kick back to right guard just before the season due to Alijah Vera-Tucker’s injury.

However, he may have found his sweet spot.

The biggest knock on Tippmann early in his career was erratic snaps. At guard, that’s no longer an issue. And after a bumpy start to the 2025 season, Tippmann settled in throughout the second half of the year. Among 37 right guards with at least 250 snaps from Week 7 on, he ranked:

  • 3.34% Pressure Rate Allowed (5th)
  • 97.9 Pass Block Efficiency (9th)
  • 70.5 PFF Overall Grade (15th)
  • 66.2 PFF Run Block Grade (16th)
  • 81.4 PFF Pass Block Grade (1st)

At only 25 years old, Tippmann has logged above-average seasons at both center and guard. Together with tackles Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu, the Jets have a strong nucleus of offensive linemen for years to come.

However, he’s in the final year of his contract. So how much will it take to keep the Jets’ offensive line intact?

Tippmann has earned himself a massive raise

As a second-round pick, Tippmann will only earn $6.17 million over his first four years in the league. After an impressive start, that number is set to skyrocket.

The Jets have been generous with their extensions so far. Wilson, Gardner, Sherwood, and Hall all received contracts that ranked in the top five of their positions at the time of signing. As such, the Jets will likely place Tippmann in the top 4-10 range due to his play and age. Given all this, a reasonable projection would be:

  • 3 years
  • $58.5 million ($19.5 million per year)
  • $39 million guaranteed

In the current market, this salary would rank sixth among guards, tied with Landon Dickerson.

The Jets would tack on three more years to Tippmann’s rookie deal to keep him around through 2029. This deal calls back to Quinn Meinerz’s four-year, $72 million extension two years ago, with Tippmann signing for one fewer year so he can cash in again before turning 30.

To win the Super Bowl, a strong offensive line is all but necessary. With the Jets still waiting for their quarterback of the future, it’s paramount that they keep their core offensive linemen intact.

The Jets still have time until they need to pay Tippmann. But as they’ve shown before, it pays to extend players early.