The Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline is approaching, and the possibility of the Jets dealing safety Marcus Maye lingers.
Marcus Maye wants to remain a Jet.
At least, that’s what he’s claimed to have told head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes.
Marcus Maye says he wants to be with the #Jets. Didn’t have any control over the tweet that went out indicating the opposite
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 21, 2021
Maye said he’s told the #Jets (Douglas & Saleh) that he wants to be here
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 21, 2021
For months, there’s been the possibility of the Jets trading Maye — there are numerous reasons why that possibility even exists.
First of all, it doesn’t seem like Douglas truly values that position as much as other roles. He was willing to trade Jamal Adams instead of sign him to an extension and didn’t finalize a long-term deal with Maye in the offseason after franchise tagging him.
Maye additionally seemed unhappy a long-term deal didn’t come to fruition when speaking about it earlier this year.
The most recent clue, however, came from Erik Burkhardt’s Twitter account. Burkhardt is Maye’s agent and had the following to say in September when it was announced Marcus would need to miss time due to an ankle injury:
Should be back fully healthy just before the trade deadline… ? https://t.co/7AADZwgLAy
— Erik Burkhardt (@ErikBurkhardt) September 29, 2021
Maye has returned to practice after he missed Weeks 4 and 5 with the health-related issue. He should be back for this Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
Future is still in limbo
Whether Maye actually wishes to remain a Jet may not make a difference though — Douglas still seemingly feels a certain way about the safety position and still has the power to potentially strike a deal prior to the deadline.
I could see the Jets swinging a third-rounder for Maye given his talent. A safety-needy team such as the Colts would be a logical suitor, especially since Indianapolis safety Julian Blackmon just suffered a season-ending Achilles tear.
A second-rounder in return for Maye would seem possible due to Douglas’ track record (the man did earn two first-rounders along with other resources for Jamal Adams and a fourth-rounder). But Maye is on the one-year tag, so his current contract obviously expires at the conclusion of this season. Any team that trades for Maye would possibly be putting itself in the position where it would need to open the wallet to extend him after 2021.
Whether or not you truly believe Maye’s ambitions to remain a Jet, there’s still the chance this Sunday’s matchup in Foxborough is the final time you see the 2017 second-rounder with the team. Extending him doesn’t seem to be a move that’s up Douglas’ alley, so why even keep him for the final few months of the year if the team doesn’t look to be a playoff contender anyway?
Follow Ryan Honey on Twitter: @RyanHoneyESNY
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