Connor McGovern's new contract with the NY Jets is absolutely shocking

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Connor McGovern / Justin K. Aller/GettyImages

I promise you this isn't clickbait. The contract you are about to see for NY Jets center Connor McGovern is both absolutely shocking and downright unbelievable. You have been warned.

The Jets officially announced McGovern's re-signing on Monday in a move that was almost immediately overshadowed by the addition of Aaron Rodgers later in the day.

Re-signing McGovern came as a bit of a surprise to some who were eyeing either a prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft or even Pro Bowler Ben Jones. As it turns out, both of those options are still possible.

That's largely because the Jets officially signed McGovern to a one-year contract worth a total of $1.915 million. That's it. There's no cap finagling. There are no added bonuses or incentives. McGovern is making backup money — less than backup money, in fact.

Connor McGovern's contract is absurd value for the NY Jets

This is a player who has 84 career starts, turns just 30 years old on Thursday, and has been arguably an above-average starting center in each of the last two seasons. McGovern is a good player and a quality starter.

Despite this, he's now the 25th highest-paid center in football. It gets even crazier, though. The Jets signed reserve center/guard Wes Schweitzer to a two-year, $5 million contract last month. The team's backup center is now making more money than their projected starter.

Ashtyn Davis, a former third-round pick who is still on his rookie contract, is making over $3 million this season. That's 58 percent more than what McGovern is being paid. A third-round pick on a rookie contract is making more money than an above-average starting center. Make it make sense.

In fact, Trystan Colon, the other reserve interior lineman the Jets signed this offseason, is making just $300,000 less than McGovern. Colon has just four starts to his name and has spent the majority of his career on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. He's far from a lock to make the 53-man roster.

Yet, he's making almost identical money to the Jets' starting center. McGovern's contract isn't just team-friendly. It isn't just a steal. It's downright highway robbery, and it's quite frankly stunning that he couldn't find a better deal.

Perhaps he could have, and he simply chose to sign with the Jets for less, possibly to snap footballs to Aaron Rodgers. The Rodgers effect shouldn't be discounted here.

Either way, the Jets now have an above-average starting center under contract for low-end backup money. This contract might be Joe Douglas' biggest win of the offseason.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.