Jets stars are buying into the new regime and the message is clear

With training camp less than a week away, the New York Jets extended their two young stars, Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner. Wilson becomes the fifth-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, while Gardner becomes the highest-paid cornerback, just ahead of Derek Stingley Jr.

Jets fans should be fired up about both of these extensions that will keep these franchise cornerstones with the team for the next six seasons. For years, the Jets have failed to keep their homegrown talent, which is now finally changing.

Wilson and Gardner are now locked in with the team for the next six seasons, which spans the prime of their careers. By the time these contracts kick in when 2027 rolls around, there is a good chance they will look like bargains.

Not only are Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn avoiding a major mistake that hurt the previous regime, but these contract extensions, going back to Jamien Sherwood's that started the offseason, show the belief these players have early on in what this regime is trying to build.

Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn are off to a good start with the NY Jets

When Mougey and Glenn took over in January, they began their quest to overhaul an organization that is deeply entrenched in a 14-year playoff drought. One of the biggest questions facing this new regime was how they would handle potential contract extensions and the re-signing of young players.

Six months ago, it felt like there was a real chance that Garrett Wilson played his final game in a Jets uniform. The reported friction between Wilson and now former quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a real issue during the abysmal 2024 season.

Moving on from Rodgers has proven to be the right decision so far for the Jets, as Wilson went from possibly requesting a trade to signing a four-year contract extension. It also shows how the 24-year-old wideout has bought into Aaron Glenn's plan.

Glenn's blueprint hasn't just resonated with Garrett Wilson but also Sauce Gardner and even Jamien Sherwood. Wilson and Gardner could have easily held out of both OTAs and mandatory minicamp, waiting for new contracts.

Instead, the two were in attendance for every practice and even spoke highly of the makeover that is happening in Florham Park. Not only is that a sign of the players and leaders they are, but it also shows their belief in this new regime.

It's a similar case with Jamien Sherwood, who was going to be one of the top linebackers on the open market this offseason; instead, Mougey and company locked up Sherwood before he could hit free agency.

Sherwood would have had plenty of landing spots, but instead chose to stay put and move forward with the Jets.

Only time will tell whether or not Mougey and Glenn can turn this franchise around, but it has been a strong start. Rewarding homegrown talent with extensions is something well-run organizations do, and the Jets haven't done it, but are now starting to do so.

More NY Jets news and analysis: