Jets, Jamison Crowder renegotiating WR’s current contract (Report)

The Jets would like to persuade veteran wideout Jamison Crowder to take a pay cut heading into the 2021 season.

Jamison Crowder isn’t participating at OTAs, but there’s a legitimate financial reason as to why.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports the veteran wide receiver and the Jets are renegotiating his current contract and the organization is attempting to persuade him to take a pay cut.

Crowder’s cap hit for the 2021 season — what’s set to be the final year of his current deal — is $11.35 million. While the Jets own a significant amount of cap space ($30.79 million per Spotrac), Crowder at that kind of price isn’t all too feasible.

“[We’re] really confident to get Jamison here quickly,” head coach Robert Saleh said Friday, per Cimini. “When we do, he definitely has a role on this team.”

That role will partly be to assist in the crucial development of rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, who will need all the help he can get to undergo a smooth transition into the NFL.

But whether he likes it or not, the 27-year-old Crowder is seemingly slipping down the depth chart amid the signings of Corey Davis and Keelan Cole along with the drafting of Elijah Moore in this year’s second round. Don’t forget, this current regime didn’t originally acquire Crowder — Jamison signed with the Jets in March 2019 prior to the ousting of former general manager Mike Maccagnan and subsequent hire of Joe Douglas.

It’s thus unclear how much playing time Crowder will truly receive in comparison to some of the other aforementioned wideouts. Davis is slated to be the team’s No. 1 receiver while both Cole and Moore can be productive targets in the slot. Not to mention, the Jets are hoping for a solid sophomore campaign out of Denzel Mims, who they drafted in last year’s second round.

If Crowder and the organization do not come to an agreement on a renegotiated deal, there’s also the chance the team could just release him (his $10 million base salary for next season isn’t guaranteed).