Jets Pick Up Will McDonald’s 5th-Year Option

McDonald, 26, had a quiet rookie year but emerged as a productive edge rusher in the last two seasons with 18.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Those numbers did not earn him any Pro Bowl recognition, which, combined with his minimal playing time as a rookie, keeps his fifth-year option at the lowest tier. He will be owed a fully-guaranteed salary of $13.75MM, an excellent price for a consistent pass rusher.

That number looks even better considering McDonald’s upside. He is an elite athlete with nearly 35-inch arms, though his otherwise undersized frame significantly limits him against the run. That, of course, is less important in a league that pays for pass rushing production more than anything else.

The two sides can now get to work on a long-term extension, though negotiations could be tricky. McDonald’s traditional counting statistics over the last two years place him among the league’s top 20 edge rushers and in the company of players like Odafe Oweh, who just signed with the Commanders for $24MM per year. However, his pass rush win rate and pressure production fall closer to the middle of the pack, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In fact, those numbers closely compare to Joseph Ossai, who just signed with the Jets for $11.5MM per year. A McDonald extension should certainly come in higher than Ossai’s due to his option value, but there is still a significant gap between that and Oweh’s deal.

However, both player and club have plenty of reason to come to the table. McDonald is set to earn just $3MM in 2026, per OverTheCap, and his fifth-year option will be paid out as base salary over the course of the 2027 season. A multi-year deal would give him a sizable up-front payday and some long-term security as soon as he puts pen to paper. The Jets would also benefit from an early extension. The new years and money would be added on to McDonald’s current deal, resulting in a much more favorable annual cost over the full term of the contract.