Rich CiminiFeb 18, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

CloseRich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — All you need to know about the New York Jets‘ current roster and salary cap situation is that the highest 2026 cap charge belongs to the ghost of Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers is long gone, but he’s counting $28 million on their books — the remaining prorated portion of the contract he signed in 2023.

That says a lot about where the Jets are as an organization.

The upside is they have enough cap space (a projected $80 million) to be highly aggressive in free agency, which begins March 9 — the opening of the negotiating window. Business will ramp up next week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, where Jets officials will meet with agents to lay the groundwork for potential deals with their own pending free agents.

“You can say it’s an aggressive approach, but it really needs to be a very calculated approach, knowing your resources, your draft resources, your cap, your future cap and what that might look like,” general manager Darren Mougey said at the end of the season.

A look at their top free agents, plus an extension candidate:

Breece Hall could be one of the top running backs available in free agency this offseason. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

Hall considers himself one of the top backs in the NFL; he’s about to find out what the rest of the league thinks of him — if he gets to the open market. The Jets would like to prevent that from happening with a contract extension.

“Breece is a good player,” Mougey said. “I want as many good players back as we can.”

Presumably, Hall wants a deal that would put him among the top five in salary at his position, which means surpassing Alvin Kamara‘s $12.25 million per year. One thing working against Hall is that it running backs won’t be a premium.

Several starting-caliber running backs are eligible for free agency, including five coming off 1,000-yard rushing seasons — Hall, Javonte Williams, Travis Etienne Jr., Rico Dowdle and Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl MVP. Rachaad White and Isiah Pacheco also are pending free agents. They will all be 28-and-under in 2026.

This is one reason why the Jets might not use the franchise tag (projected $14.5 million). The transition tag ($11.7 million) might make more sense.

Hall’s explosive-run percentage dropped last season, as did his average speed (based on GPS tracking), yet he still managed to rush for a career-high 1,065 yards. Since 2022, he ranks 10th among running backs in scrimmage yards (5,040).

Key number: He’ll be only 25, one of the reasons why he would be one of the most coveted free agents. The Arizona Cardinals, coached by former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, could be a potential suitor.

Coach Aaron Glenn identified Vera-Tucker last summer as a player he’d like to sign long term. A few weeks later, the former first-round pick tore the triceps in his left arm, ending his season before it began.

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Therein lies the issue: The talent is there, but so is the durability concern.

Vera-Tucker, who turns 27 this offseason, has sat out one full season and large chunks of two others because of various injuries. All told, he has played in 43 of 85 games over five years, making it hard to predict his value as a free agent.

The Jets have four starting offensive linemen under contract, and they’d love to slot Vera-Tucker into that fifth spot (probably left guard). But how much are they willing to risk on an injury-prone player? One agent who doesn’t represent Vera-Tucker speculated that he could earn $13 million per year on a multiyear contract; another predicted a one-year prove-it deal.

The fallback option could be the durable, but penalty-prone John Simpson, who will test the market.

Williams, a five-year starter for the Jets who was first-team All-Pro in 2023, is likely to move on. Technically, his contract voided Friday. This feels like a situation in which both sides are looking for a fresh start.

He recorded a career-high 3.5 sacks in 13 games last season (he sat out four games because of a shoulder injury), but he wasn’t the sideline-to-sideline disruptor he was in previous years. Williams wasn’t comfortable in last season’s scheme, saying, “When I’m in the right defense, I ball out.” There will be a new scheme in 2026, but that might not matter.

An off-ball linebacker entering his age-30 season probably won’t generate a ton of interest, but he has a fan in former Jets coach Robert Saleh, now the Tennessee Titans‘ coach.

The Jets told Taylor at the end of the season that they’re interested in running it back, but the landscape has changed since then. There’s a new offensive coordinator (Frank Reich) and a new system to be installed, and they’re expected to prioritize other quarterbacks in free agency and in potential trades.

Taylor, whose contract voided Friday, will be 37 for the season. He has battled myriad injuries in recent years, including knee and groin issues last season.

Folk was the most consistent player on the team in 2025 (28-for-29 on field goal attempts), but how long can he keep it up? Does he want to keep going? He’s 41 years old. He said at the end of the season that he’d huddle with his family before deciding his future. His contract was a terrific value last season at $2.9 million.

Other free agents

The Jets don’t have a lot of must-have free agents, which is what you’d expect on a 3-14 team.

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Safeties Andre Cisco and Tony Adams and defensive end Micheal Clemons are the most noteworthy players, all 29 and under.

Cisco has the most starting experience of the three, but he made little impact in an abbreviated season. He signed for one year, $8.5 million (it voided Friday) and sat out the last nine games because of a torn pectoral muscle, which required surgery. Adams (36 starts over four years) will have a place in the league, but it might not be with the Jets, who need a reset at safety.

Clemons, who incurred the wrath of fans because of his ill-timed penalties and lapses on defense, has some value as a rotational player, but he probably will look elsewhere.

Contract extension candidate

The front office showed last July that it can be proactive, signing wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner to long-term extensions. As we all know, Gardner’s new deal didn’t prevent the Jets from trading him to the Indianapolis Colts at midseason.

On a smaller scale, the front office did the same last December with tight end Jeremy Ruckert and center Josh Myers, both of whom were poised to hit free agency.

The next logical candidate is guard Joe Tippmann, a former second-round pick entering the final year of his rookie deal. He’s due to make about $4 million in 2026, thanks to a performance/playing-time escalator. With an extension, he probably would at least triple that amount on an annual basis, based on the current need for guards. He’s a solid, durable player with position versatility — capable of playing guard and center. It makes sense to keep the Tippmann-Olu Fashanu–Armand Membou troika together as long as possible.

Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, too, is entering the final year of his rookie deal (a guaranteed $13.4 million in 2026), but his production sagged last season. The Jets probably will take a wait-and-see approach. Defensive end Will McDonald IV also has one year left on his rookie contract, but it will be extended through 2027 if his fifth-year option is exercised. The team has until early May to make that decision.