NY Jets need to set an example and extend Marcus Maye

Extending Marcus Maye would be for the greater good of the NY Jets franchise

Oftentimes, the focus of football teams is the games and their results. When it comes to the business side of football between a front office and its players, there is a game that takes place behind the scenes where both sides attempt to achieve victories as well.

Franchises and players are not in the business of "taking L's" and doing the other side a favor. Sometimes concessions do happen on both sides, resulting in a happy medium, but it's scarce for sports teams to let the other side have its day purposely.

Joe Douglas and the Jets need to take the hit and do what's right by Marcus Maye — and ultimately for the team's new culture. It's time for Joe Douglas to buck recent history and set a new precedent that rewards the team's best players and leaders for their performance.

The franchise can afford to take the loss financially and go against conventional wisdom to ultimately win in the long run. 

Douglas can set an example and send a message to the entire team by signing Maye to a long-term deal. The action will speak louder than words on the type of GM that Douglas is and the type of team and organization that the Jets will be for players moving forward. 

The last star safety that had contract issues with the Jets was Jamal Adams. Douglas spoke publicly about Adams being a "Jet for life," but when push came to shove, and Adams was very forceful in creating that movement, Douglas did what was best for the Jets organization.

Please make no mistake about it — Marcus Maye is not Jamal Adams.

In 2020, he stepped out from under the enormous shadow that his former teammate cast and proved himself to be a better player and leader. Adams earned his exit, Maye proved why he should remain.

The Jets are trying to sell a new era of leadership on and off the field to its fan base, players, and outsiders. 

When it comes to leadership in the locker room and on the field, to paraphrase a famous quote from The Wizard of Oz, Jets management doesn’t need to look any further than their own backyard. 

In the midst of great adversity and what was arguably the franchise's worst season ever in 2020, Marcus Maye stepped up on the field and off to prove his value.

The  NY Jets need to keep players like him in-house for a long time. It will set the tone for what is expected and for what is to come in the future.