The Jets sat back and mostly watched during the 2024 free-agency period.
With a lot of money tied up in players like Aaron Rodgers, Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers and ... Allen Lazard, New York couldn't afford to dole out huge contracts to big names on the open market.
But that doesn't mean the Jets stayed quiet. General manager Joe Douglas signed a few big names to incentive-laden deals. Veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith and wide receiver Mike Williams joined the team on one-year deals, while the Jets also added offensive guard John Simpson, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor and re-signed a few of their own as well.
New York ended up spending around $72.4 million in 2024, per Over the Cap, which ranked 27th among teams in the NFL.
Here's exactly how the Jets stacked up against the other 31 teams.
2024 NFL free agency spending
| RANK | Team | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Titans | 307,152,500 |
| 2 | Panthers | 259,450,000 |
| 3 | Falcons | 244,062,500 |
| 4 | Giants | 225,100,000 |
| 5 | Patriots | 219,955,000 |
| 6 | Texans | 210,955,000 |
| 7 | Chiefs | 202,192,500 |
| 8 | Buccaneers | 189,640,000 |
| 9 | Colts | 186,340,000 |
| 10 | Washington | 176,611,000 |
| 11 | Raiders | 170,650,000 |
| 12 | Rams | 168,133,750 |
| 13 | Jaguars | 168,057,500 |
| 14 | Vikings | 157,730,000 |
| 15 | Cardinals | 147,295,000 |
| 16 | Eagles | 145,562,500 |
| 17 | Bears | 144,495,000 |
| 18 | Packers | 141,722,500 |
| 19 | Ravens | 139,330,000 |
| 20 | Seahawks | 130,945,000 |
| 21 | Dolphins | 109,632,500 |
| 22 | Bills | 95,145,000 |
| 23 | Steelers | 85,097,500 |
| 24 | Lions | 84,050,000 |
| 25 | Bengals | 73,617,500 |
| 26 | 49ers | 72,617,500 |
| 27 | Jets | 72,375,000 |
| 28 | Broncos | 67,625,000 |
| 29 | Browns | 67,302,500 |
| 30 | Chargers | 44,547,500 |
| 31 | Saints | 29,795,000 |
| 32 | Cowboys | 11,130,000 |
Jets salary cap space
After the dust settled on the Jets' big moves in free agency, New York was left with limited salary cap space ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.
The Jets have around $1.43 million in salary cap space, per OTC, which ranks 31st in the NFL ahead of only the Buccaneers. New York will need to make some more cuts or restructures to sign their draft class in a few weeks.
Jets free agency moves
Here are all the Jets' free agency transactions with known contract terms. Some, like safety Ashtyn Davis, have not been reported yet and therefore are not reflected in the table.
| Pos. | Player | Transaction Type | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| LT | Tyron Smith | Signed | 1 year, $20 million |
| LB | C.J. Mosley | Extension | 2 years, $17.25 million |
| QB | Tyrod Taylor | Signed | 2 years, $18 million |
| WR | Mike Williams | Signed | 1 year, $15 million |
| K | Greg Zuerlein | Re-signed | 2 years, $8.4 million |
| IDL | Javon Kinlaw | Signed | 1 year, $7.25 million |
| LG | John Simpson | Signed | $6 million |
| P | Thomas Morstead | Re-signed | 2 years, $5 million |
| RT | Morgan Moses | Trade | $5.5 million |
| EDGE | Solomon Thomas | Re-signed | 1 year, $3 million |
| CB | Isaiah Oliver | Signed | 1 year, $2.5 million |
| IDL | Leki Fotu | Signed | 1 year, $2.5 million |
| S | Chuck Clark | Re-signed | 1 year, $2 million |
| TE | Kenny Yeboah | Re-signed | 1 year, $1.4 million |
| C | Jake Hanson | Re-signed | 1 year, $1.1 million |