The New York Jets have operated the right way this offseason. They have brought in young players on the open market and through the 2025 draft to bolster a team coming off a disastrous five-win season the year before.
They also re-signed two of their top players in the last few days.
But while New York prepares for the start of its first training camp under a new regime led by Aaron Glenn, the organization needs to resolve one last contractual concern: signing second-round rookie tight end Mason Taylor.
Things are trending in the right direction, though.
Jets’ Mason Taylor Situation
While it is never good to have an incoming rookie unsigned going into the start of training camp, the Jets are not in rare company this offseason when it comes to their second-round pick.
As of Thursday morning, Taylor was one of 30 second-round picks who had not agreed to terms on a rookie contract with the team that drafted him.
This is not a Jets problem. This is a league-wide issue.
The reason so many players taken in the second round remain unsigned is that they are looking for fully guaranteed money.
The second pick of the second round, Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins, received a fully guaranteed deal. This was matched by the first pick of the round, Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger. It set a precedent that other teams around the league haven’t been willing to match.
That began to change on Thursday.
As of Friday morning, 11 more second-round picks have reportedly agreed to deals, bringing the total to 13. That includes the two players chosen directly behind Mason Taylor in the draft order: San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Collins reportedly agreed to a four-year, $10.3 million deal with over $9 million guaranteed, while Ezeiruaku agreed to a four-year, $10.1 million deal with around $8.1 million guaranteed.
This gives an idea of what Taylor’s guarantees should look like. And with the second-round signings rolling in, Taylor’s deal should happen soon, especially with the Jets’ rookies reporting for training camp on Saturday.
The CBA does not require full contractual guarantees for players drafted after the first round. The only way that could truly change is if the league agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement with the players’ association.
That is a few years away from happening.
In the meantime, the Jets’ faithful shouldn’t be too concerned about Taylor’s current contract.
Taylor is coming off a college career at LSU, where he set school records for tight end receiving categories. He always had the skill to impact any team that drafted him immediately.
New York took the son of the Hall-of-Fame edge rusher with the 42nd pick in the 2025 draft. The hope was that he could grow into the kind of starting-caliber tight end that would be a matchup nightmare for defenses around the league.
Those hopes aren’t dashed just because he hasn’t signed his contract yet.
The Jets and Taylor will eventually find common ground on a rookie contract. Whether that happens before training camp or a few days in, it won’t change the LSU star’s potential.
Any concern over the current lack of a deal is misplaced at this time.