While the New York Jets have a surplus of excellent value contracts, they also have a fair share of bad deals, which is hardly different from any NFL team.
Ahead of the 2026 season, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon ranked the 10 worst contracts in the NFL, where no Jets were featured. Here is a look at the rankings:
- 10: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Carolina Panthers (4 years, $120 million)
- 9: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings (4 years, $66 million)
- 8: Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders (3 years, $106.5 million)
- 7: Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Baltimore Ravens (4 years, $112 million)
- 6: Chris Jones, DL, Kansas City Chiefs (5 years, $158.8 million)
- 5: T.J. Watt, EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers (3 years, $123 million)
- 4: Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers (5 years, $170 million)
- 3: Dan Moore Jr., OT, Tennessee Titans (4 years, $82 million)
- 2: Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3 years, $66 million)
- 1: Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns (5 years, $230 million)
Sure, the Jets have some bad contracts, but none of them are to the magnitude of any of these deals. The closest to this category would be Jamien Sherwood’s three-year, $45 million deal he signed last offseason.
During his first year under that contract, Sherwood’s production declined, and there are major questions about his capabilities outside the Robert Saleh-Jeff Ulbrich defense heading into 2026.
Another poor deal that can be pointed out — which also took place last offseason — was the team’s decision to sign cornerback Brandon Stephens to a three-year, $36 million deal.
While Stephens flashed at times, he finished the year with an 8:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and struggled to show that he can consistently be relied on as a starter, which should be a given for a $36 million player.
The Jets certainly have some bad-looking contracts on their books, but ultimately, none of them seem to rank among the bottom 10 in the league.
However, after this season, that could change.
