Tutu Atwell contract could derail the NY Jets' offseason WR plans

The NY Jets enter the 2025 offseason desperately in need of wide receiver help. It's a scenario the Jets signed up for when they decided to move on from Aaron Rodgers, indirectly prompting the departures of Davante Adams and soon-to-be Allen Lazard.

The Jets will head into free agency with a starting wide receiver trio of Garrett Wilson, Xavier Gipson, and Malachi Corley. The only other wide receivers on the roster include Irvin Charles (exclusive-rights free agent), Brandon Smith, Marcus Riley, Ontaria Wilson, and Easop Winston.

It's painfully obvious that the Jets need to add, at minimum, two or three new wide receivers to their roster this offseason. The most obvious path to doing so will come in free agency next week, but that plan doesn't seem as appealing as it did a few days ago.

The Los Angeles Rams re-signed speedy wideout Tutu Atwell to a one-year, $10 million contract on Thursday, further highlighting how out of control the wide receiver market has become. That's good news for players but bad news for wide receiver-needy teams like the Jets.

Recent Tutu Atwell contract could impact the NY Jets' wide receiver pursuit in free agency

Atwell is a fine depth receiver who did put together a career year in 2024. The former Louisville standout finished the season with 42 catches for 562 yards, but he failed to record a single touchdown and was the fourth-most-targeted wide receiver on his own team.

Players like that don't typically receive contracts like the one Atwell just received. For context, Atwell's new contract makes him a top-30 highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL by average annual value.

Yes, that means a player who was the fourth-most targeted wide receiver on his own team last year is now a top-30 highest-paid player at his position. If that isn't a sign of an exploding market, I don't know what is.

The Jets have enough cap space to make some moves in free agency, but they will have a number of different positions to address. The team needs a starting right tackle, a brand new tight end room, starters along the defensive line, another linebacker, another starting cornerback, essentially 3-4 new safeties, and, of course, a starting quarterback.

Not all of those holes will be filled in free agency, but the Jets will use whatever money they have to plug as many roster holes as possible. Ideally, the Jets would be able to add two new wide receivers in free agency, but given the nature of the market right now, that might not be feasible.

If Atwell is able to fetch $10 million, what type of contract does Joshua Palmer receive? Heck, there's a reason the Houston Texans actually traded for Christian Kirk and his $18 million AAV contract instead of trying to sign him in free agency — they assumed he'd get a similar-enough deal on the open market.

The Jets are unlikely to make major splashes in free agency this offseason. Instead, fans should expect more Tim Patrick-level signings rather than big-name targets like Chris Godwin or Keenan Allen. The Atwell contract and the inflated wide receiver market only confirm that.

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