Youthful Jets stars like Garrett Wilson feeling ‘old’ heading into Year 3

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:

1. Leadership x 4: They’re not newbies anymore. Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Jermaine Johnson and Garrett Wilson — the Jets’ version of the “Core Four” — are entering Year 3. As Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells used to say about young players on the verge of NFL adulthood, it’s time to ditch the Huggies.

Aaron Rodgers echoed that sentiment in a recent interview on SiriusXM “Mad Dog Sports Radio,” saying of his four talented teammates, “Now the fun thing for those guys is, they’re not the young guys. They’re the guys who are grown up, so now it’s time to be a leader.”

The top four picks from the 2022 draft class have proved they can play at a high level, but the next step in their evolution is to establish themselves off the field. Rodgers is the unquestioned leader, but a team should revolve around more than one player. It makes for better chemistry.

“I think what Aaron said is great,” said Johnson, 25, the oldest of the Core Four. “We’re not just young guys anymore. Now we’ve got to step up into our leadership roles, and that’s something that I relish, and I know all these other guys relish. We like pressure, and we like exceeding expectations.”

Wilson said: “Yeah, 100 percent. Once you’ve had three years under your belt or two years, you just have more to give. You’ve got more to talk about. You’ve got a little better grasp on what’s going on. … We’ve had some young guys come up and it’s really cool because they’re all willing to learn and they’re willing to learn from me.”

Based on birth certificates, Wilson, Hall and Gardner still qualify as young guys — they’re only 23. That’s why it sounded a bit incongruous when Gardner, describing how he likes to help rookies, said, “You know, I’m getting a little bit older.” Perhaps realizing how that sounded, he quickly added with a smile, “But I’m not old at all. You know what I’m saying?”

No, they’re not old, but their résumés are getting fatter by the year. As their reputations grow, so does the responsibility of leadership.

2. Where’s Reddick? There was speculation about a contract extension for pass-rusher Haason Reddick when he arrived via trade in late March. Publicly, it’s all quiet on that front. For now, he has one year remaining on the three-year, $45 million deal he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. Perhaps not coincidentally, he didn’t attend the first two open OTA practices; the next open practice is Tuesday. The sessions are voluntary, but it’s noteworthy when a high-profile acquisition isn’t present.

At his introductory news conference in early April, Reddick sounded like he wanted a new deal, saying he would leave it up to his agent and the Jets to sort out. He said he would be happy no matter how it shakes out. Mandatory minicamp starts June 11. Reddick, 30, one of the league’s most-prolific pass-rushers over the past four years, is making a non-guaranteed $14.5 million this season.

3. Rising value of the nickel. Highly productive players around the league are receiving lucrative contract extensions. The obvious candidate on the Jets, among players still on their rookie deals, is nickelback Michael Carter II.

He doesn’t get much publicity because he’s overshadowed by high-profile teammates on defense, but he ranked first among slot corners in a handful of statistical categories last season. Just the other day, the Jets posted that nugget on social media. Now it’s time to show their appreciation with a new contract.

Carter is entering the final year of his rookie deal, meaning he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency after the season. The proactive move would be to lock him up before it gets that far, avoiding making a tough decision like they had to with former pass-rusher Bryce Huff this offseason, but the two sides have yet to engage in contract talks.

A potential hurdle for the Jets: Gardner will be eligible for a new deal after the season (we’re talking major bucks) and fellow corner D.J. Reed is entering his final year. It will be almost impossible to keep all three.

The price for a top nickelback is rising. The Buffalo Bills‘ Taron Johnson is the highest-paid nickel after they gave him a three-year, $33 million contract extension this offseason.

4. Re-ups are rare: If Carter signs an extension, he will be the first draft pick by general manager Joe Douglas to get a multiyear second contract. Carter was a fifth-round pick in Douglas’ second draft in 2021. Safety Ashtyn Davis, a third-rounder in 2020, signed a one-year deal this offseason after his rookie contract expired.

Carter and Davis are among only five players who remain from the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

5. Small fraternity: What Rodgers is trying to do in 2024 — play at high level after missing virtually an entire season — is no easy feat for a quarterback. Consider:

Excluding rookies, Rodgers will try to become only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to have 25 touchdown passes after not completing a pass the previous season. The others are Andrew Luck (2018), Peyton Manning (2012), Daunte Culpepper (2000) and Al Dorow (1960).

It’s worth noting that Rodgers has thrown at least 25 touchdowns in each of the 13 seasons that he’s played at least 10 games.

6. The Lazard quandary: The most fascinating roster decision will involve wide receiver Allen Lazard, who struggled and got benched last season after signing a four-year, $44 million contract in free agency. He also was shaky in the last OTA practice that was open to the media (Wednesday).

The Jets probably won’t cut him because his $10 million salary is guaranteed. At the same time, it will be hard to dress him for games because he doesn’t play special teams. For now, he’s running with the starters, but that likely will change when Mike Williams (knee surgery) returns in late summer.

Mark it down: This will be a storyline around the final cutdown.

7. Q factor: Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said he’s trying to add more moves to his “pass-rushing bag,” as he termed it. He saw his sack total drop from 12 in 2022 to 5.5 in 2023.

8. Many happy returns? When Tarik Cohen was in his prime, circa 2018, he was known as “The Human Joystick.” A lot has happened to the 5-foot-6 running back/kick returner since then, mostly bad — a devastating knee injury in 2020 (a torn ACL and MCL, plus a tibial plateau fracture) and a torn Achilles in 2022.

After failing in a comeback bid with the Carolina Panthers, Cohen has landed on the Jets, who hope he can recreate his old magic and bring some joy to their return units.

The Jets were a middle of the road return team in 2023, ranking 17th and 14th in kickoff- and punt-return average, respectively. Xavier Gipson handled both jobs.

Now, with the new kickoff rules, the expectation is that teams will use two kickoff returners because there are field position ramifications if a ball touches the ground in the landing zone. A member of the kicking team could beat a single returner to the ball and, because it’s a live ball, recover it for a change of possession.

Predicting the impact of the new rule, coach Robert Saleh said he expects returners to get at least 100 touches. Enter Cohen, an All-Pro returner for the Chicago Bears in 2018. He’s a “dynamic playmaker, starting to get back healthy,” Saleh said, noting that Cohen, 28, still is in his prime years.

Let’s be honest: Cohen is a long shot — he hasn’t played since 2020 — but he’s worth a no-risk flyer, considering the new landscape and that no one on the roster other than Gipson has significant returning experience.

Other players in the kickoff-returning mix include running back Isaiah Davis and cornerback Brandon Codrington, both rookies, and second-year running back Israel Abanikanda.

9. The second-to-last word: “I’m just really trying to be an apex predator.” — Jermaine Johnson on his personal goals for 2024.

10. The last word: “I feel like myself. I didn’t really realize it, but something was off.” — Garrett Wilson on switching to No. 5 (his college number) after two seasons wearing No. 17.