NFL teams, including the New York Jets, have until Thursday, May 1, to decide whether to pick up the fully guaranteed fifth-year options for their 2022 first-round draft picks. These options apply to the 2026 season and are categorized into four tiers—basic, playtime, one Pro Bowl, and multiple Pro Bowl selections—with different salary values based on a player’s achievements. The website Over The Cap provides a detailed explanation of these tiers.
The Jets selected three players in the first round of the 2022 draft and must finalize their decisions for each within the upcoming deadline.
One of those players, cornerback Sauce Gardner, qualifies for the highest level—Tier 4—due to his back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances. This tier is valued at $20.187 million, which matches the franchise tag amount for cornerbacks. Gardner has quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s top defensive backs, racking up three interceptions, 40 pass deflections, and earning two First-Team All-Pro honors in addition to his Pro Bowl nods.
Although the Jets haven’t officially made an announcement, General Manager Darren Mougey revealed during a Monday press conference that the team fully intends to exercise Gardner’s fifth-year option. This move would ensure Gardner remains under contract through the 2026 season, earning the full $20.187 million salary.
“We still have time, but I do anticipate exercising those fifth-year options,” Mougey said, according to Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News.
Earlier in the offseason, during the NFL Scouting Combine, Mougey also indicated a strong interest in extending Gardner’s contract beyond the fifth-year option. Now that Gardner has completed his third NFL season, he is eligible to negotiate and sign a long-term extension. Mougey emphasized the importance of retaining young talent, stating, “The to-do list is to keep good young players on the team and add good players,” via ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
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