Jets’ John Metchie trade comes with a sneaky bonus no one’s talking about

The New York Jets made their first move of trade season on Wednesday, sending nickel cornerback Michael Carter to the Philadelphia Eagles in a deal that also included a swap of 2027 late-round picks as well as wide receiver John Metchie.

A second-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft, Metchie has battled through injuries and adversity in his career, including a bout with leukemia that caused him to miss his entire rookie season.

Metchie gives the Jets a young, high-upside wide receiver flier in return for a player in Carter who had become an afterthought in the team's defense. It's a sensible move for both sides, but there's a hidden benefit to the trade for the Jets that few have mentioned.

Metchie is in the final year of his rookie contract and is set to be a free agent in the offseason. However, he won't be an unrestricted free agent like pretty much every other draft pick on an expiring contract.

The John Metchie trades gives the Jets multiple years of team control

Because Metchie missed his entire rookie season due to his bout with leukemia, he's actually scheduled to be a restricted free agent this offseason. It's a weird quirk in the NFL rulebook that gives the Jets an extra year of (sort of) team control.

To earn an accrued season toward unrestricted free agency in the NFL, a player must be on full-pay status (active, inactive, injured reserve, or PUP) for at least six regular-season games in a given year. Metchie spent his entire rookie season on the non-football injury list and thus did not record an accrued season.

That means his rookie contract is expiring after just three accrued seasons, making him an RFA. The Jets can keep him in 2026 by placing a right-of-first-refusal or tender (original-round, second-round, or first-round level). It gives them exclusive negotiating rights and ensures they can retain him at a relatively modest cost.

This continues the trend of Jets general manager Darren Mougey acquiring young players on affordable team-controlled contracts, alongside the likes of defensive tackle Jowon Briggs and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr.

Metchie is another young flier for the Jets, who will be given every opportunity to carve out a role in a thin wide receiver corps both in 2025 and likely 2026. The fact that the Jets received the better end of the pick swap and got off Carter's contract makes this trade even more impressive.

Metchie was buried on a deep Texans wide receiver depth chart and never really given much of a chance after missing time due to a torn ACL and his off-field medical issues. He played just 31 offensive snaps with the Eagles this season, although he was also used as a kick returner.

At first glance, the Metchie acquisition might seem like little more than a one-year rental for a player on an expiring contract, but it has the potential to be much more than that. Yet another savvy piece of business from the Jets' first-year general manager.