Running back pay cuts have been a regular offseason talking point, but the Jets are preparing to give Corey Davis an ultimatum. The veteran wide receiver may be on the chopping block, should he balk at a pay-cut request.
Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas have said Davis is in the team’s plans. This came after Davis cut rumblings — in the event Odell Beckham Jr. signed — circulated earlier in the offseason. While Davis remains on the Jets’ 90-man roster, the former top-five pick making it back onto the team’s regular-season 53-man unit will not happen at his current $10.5M base salary, Brian Costello of the New York Post notes.
The Jets likely have already approached Davis about the pay cut, per Costello, who adds the former Titans draftee would not be in line for considerable playing time. Should the Jets enter the season healthy at wide receiver, Davis no longer looks like an every-down player. The team added Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman to its mix alongside Garrett Wilson, and longtime Aaron Rodgers teammate Randall Cobb signed after the draft.
Davis, 28, joined the Jets on a three-year, $37M deal. Zach Wilson‘s lack of development undoubtedly affected Davis, but he has not delivered on the 2021 free agency accord. The Titans did not pick up Davis’ fifth-year option, but the former prized prospect posted a 984-yard receiving season during his 2020 contract year and vaulted into position for a big payday. Davis, however, amassed 492 receiving yards in 2021 and 536 last year. The Western Michigan product has also missed 12 games since joining the Jets, seeing groin and MCL injuries sideline him. The past two seasons do not give Davis much leverage against a pay cut, as a strong market would be unlikely to await.
It would be interesting to see Davis paired with Rodgers, who famously did not have a first-round pick to target while in Green Bay. The Jets boast two former top-10 selections at receiver, and while Garrett Wilson has a chance to be a star after going 10th overall last year, Davis could certainly help the team after its quarterback trade splash. It appears this opportunity will be contingent on the 6-foot-3 outside receiver accepting a pay slash.
Carl Lawson joined Davis in signing a three-year contract (for $45M) in 2021; the veteran defensive end recently agreed to reduce his salary by $6M in exchange for more guaranteed money. With Davis less important to the 2023 team’s cause compared to Lawson, it is possible the Jets will ask for a steeper cut. Douglas already alluded to the business of football when assessing Davis’ 2023 status, though the fourth-year GM also called the veteran wideout “a valued member of this team.”
This Davis matter comes as the team goes through the process of restructuring Rodgers’ deal. The Jets have their new starting quarterback on a $1.2M cap number, but because of a Packers restructure, Rodgers is tied to a $107.6M 2024 number. Seeing as no player has ever played on a cap hit north of $50M, Rodgers will obviously not be tied to that figure next year. But a restructure will increase the future Hall of Famer’s 2023 cap number, which will cut into the Jets’ cap space soon.
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