Jets Restructure Contract with Jamison Crowder

Jamison Crowder has developed himself into a solid option for the New York Jets at the wide receiver position. And it looks like he will be with the team for the 2021 season.

Crowder stepped away from the team’s organized team activities (OTAs) because of the details on his current contract. Monday, the former Duke Blue Devil agreed to take a pay cut to remain on the roster.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, the slot wideout and the Jets finalized a renegotiated contract a day before the start of mandatory minicamp. However, he will become a free agent again at the end of the season.

While details on the renegotiated contract were not specified by NFL Network, ESPN’s Rich Cimini did note that the Jets were asking Crowder to take potentially as high as a 50 percent pay cut. In the final year of his current deal, the receiver was a cap hit in non-guaranteed money of $11 million, 375 thousand dollars.

The pay cut and renegotiated contract are mutually beneficial for both sides, as the Jets will have more in the salary cap to work with, while Crowder will keep his role on the team and provide leadership to fellow teammates in the wide receiver group such as free agent acquisition Corey Davis, Braxton Berrios, rookie Elijah Moore, and Denzel Mims, among others.

The original salary number was the third-highest on the roster for the Green and White, and as the NFL.com article notes, “After spending the offseason making multiple additions at the wide receiver position (free-agent signing Corey Davis, second-round pick Elijah Moore), that number didn’t quite seem to fit Crowder’s role, even if the Jets still had ample cap space. It seemed a decision was near for both New York and Crowder, and Monday’s news informs us that decision will keep the wideout in town for another season.”

Now, as Crowder prepares to enter his seventh season in the NFL and third with the Jets, he will provide another solid option in the slot for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.

But of course, for fans who may not have heard the news, there’s the aspect of curiosity as to how both sides agreed on a contract. No details as to how were provided. “What remains to be seen is how the two parties arrived at this renegotiation agreement. Logically, Crowder agreed to a deal that lowered his cap number and perhaps gave him some of the cash in an instant bonus, helping the Jets with their overall cap situation while also avoiding rocking his own boat by staying in town.”

Crowder originally signed with the Jets in 2019 after spending his first four seasons with the Washington Football Team. His deal was a three-year contract worth $28.5 million that featured $17 million in guaranteed money. After this season, he will have the opportunity to become a free agent.

Jamison Crowder also has a milestone coming up. “With his 28th birthday arriving Thursday, Crowder is still perfectly in line to cash in again before he turns 30. It seems he’s content with sticking with the new-look Jets and hoping his contract season becomes a lucrative one.”

For the Jets, Crowder is a versatile wide receiver. No matter how the team utilizes him, he will be a solid option for any quarterback.