Olu Fashanu facing pressure as the next Jets player in line for contract talks

New York Jets fans received a nice surprise on Monday morning when it was announced the team was signing right guard Joe Tippmann to a new contract, locking down one of their key offensive linemen on a four-year, $66.4 million extension with $34.9M guaranteed.

It was a proactive move by Darren Mougey and his front office, as Tippmann was entering the final year of his rookie contract. Now, the Jets have every single member of their young offensive core under contract through the 2027 season.

However, the next in line for contract negotiations is 2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu, who is entering the third year of his rookie deal. The Jets will have to make a decision on the young left tackle's fifth-year option next offseason, and soon after that, his long-term standing with the team.

How has Fashanu performed through the first two years of his NFL career? Heading into Year 3, is he facing the pressure to perform due to those long-term contract talks?

Olu Fashanu facing the most pressure of any Jet with contract decisions looming

Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante compiled a list of every NFL team's player facing the most pressure entering the 2026 season, and for the Jets, he named Fashanu.

"The New York Jets got incredible results out of 2025 first-round pick Armand Membou at right tackle immediately, but it’s been a slower process for their 2024 first-round pick, left tackle Olu Fashanu. He improved his PFN OL Impact Score from 58.9 to 73.8 in the jump to Year 2, but he’s still behind other 2024 draft picks like Joe Alt, Amarius Mims, and Roger Rosengarten. Fashanu will need to continue to improve this year to secure a big extension."

Jacob Infante

While Infante points out Fashanu's development has been somewhat slow, you can make the case he's the most talented left tackle the Jets have had since D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Last year, Fashanu graded out as the 39th-best offensive tackle in football, according to Pro Football Focus, earning a 69.2 overall grade.

He was credited with 39 pressures allowed, but a lot of that could be chalked up to the Jets' poor quarterback play in 2025. Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Brady Cook all had the propensity to hang onto the football for far too long.

Fashanu is doing just fine right now, and his development is right on track. If all goes well in 2026, the Jets are incredibly likely to be picking up that fifth-year option, and hopefully, getting him on a similar team-friendly deal they did Tippmann this summer.

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