NY Jets expected to cut WR Corey Davis this offseason

The NY Jets have a decision to make on a number of key players this offseason, one of whom is wide receiver Corey Davis. Davis has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons and could find himself a victim of the numbers game in the coming weeks.

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt wrote about Davis' future with the team in a recent article, and he revealed that the expectation is that Davis will be cut this offseason.

Rosenblatt wrote, "People in and around the Jets are operating under the assumption that Corey Davis will be a cap casualty." Davis has a cap hit of $11.17 million in 2023, but the Jets could cut him with a dead cap hit of just $666,667.

That's a saving of roughly $10.5 million, a hefty chunk of change for a Jets team that might have to make some difficult financial decisions this offseason. Ultimately, the decision to cut Davis would come down to reliability.

Corey Davis has been unreliable during his time with the NY Jets

The Jets originally signed Davis to a three-year, $37.5 million contract prior to the 2021 season with the hope that he could serve as the team's de facto WR1. The results in year one were less than stellar.

Davis managed a whopping five drops in just nine games before undergoing season-ending core muscle surgery. The former top-five pick finished with just 34 catches for 492 yards and four touchdowns — his least productive season since his rookie year.

The hope was that Davis would improve in a more limited role in 2022. Unfortunately, injuries proved to be an issue once again. Davis appeared in 13 games this past season, hauling in 32 catches for 536 yards and two touchdowns.

A healthy Davis is good value for $11.17 million considering the current state of the wide receiver market, but the injuries have piled up. Combine that with his drop issues and it's been difficult for the Jets to rely on the former Tennessee Titans standout.

The Jets could see if he wants to take a pay cut, similar to what they did with Jamison Crowder a few years ago. It's unclear what Davis would make on the open market, so it might be in the best interest of everyone involved.

After all, Davis is one of the best run-blocking wide receivers in the NFL and a rock-solid WR2/WR3 when healthy. That said, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team outright release him either.

That seems to be the direction we're headed.