Jets cornerback D.J. Reed is a quality defender in the midst of a strong season who plays on a 3-6 club and who is on an expiring contract. He has also made it plain that he intends to test free agency in March, all of which makes him an obvious trade candidate.
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New York has indeed received trade inquiries on Reed, but the team is not expected to move the Kansas State product, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required). With the soon-to-be 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and having already made a buyers’ trade for wide receiver Davante Adams, it stands to reason that the Jets would not make any sellers moves in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, despite their poor record.
GM Joe Douglas is also out of contract at season’s end, and while it appears he will finish out the season in his post, he obviously has plenty of incentive to retain the best players on the roster rather than ship them off for future draft picks. Though Rich Cimini of ESPN.com does not believe Douglas will make another splashy acquisition over the next several days, he does confirm that the Jets will not be sellers.
Douglas’ big misstep during his New York tenure was his decision to make quarterback Zach Wilson the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 draft, but the Jets’ top exec does have some highlights on his resume. That includes signing Reed to a three-year, $33MM contract in March 2022, a deal that has yielded considerable return on investment.
Per Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Reed graded out as the 23rd-best corner out of 118 qualified players in his first year with the Jets, and PFF considered him the 16th-best CB out of 127 qualifiers last year. In 2024, he has taken his play to another level, with an excellent 81.8 PFF grade that represents the fourth-highest mark among 110 qualified cornerbacks. He has also surrendered an exceedingly low 57.7 QB rating, and his eight passes defensed put him on pace to set a new career-high in that category.
Reed’s platform-year performance has set him up nicely for another lucrative payday in the upcoming offseason. Whether that comes from the Jets – who may be under different leadership in 2025 and who will need to consider an extension for fellow boundary defender Sauce Gardner – remains to be seen. For now, though, Reed will try to help his current club make a postseason run.