Jowon Briggs, Jets
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New York Jets defensive tackle Jowon Briggs trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The New York Jets have officially retained a key piece.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on social media that defensive tackle Jowon Briggs has signed his exclusive rights tender. That means Briggs is under contract for the Jets in 2026 on a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
Rich Cimini
DT Jowon Briggs signed his exclusive-rights tender ($1.1 million), per transaction wire. #Jets
What is an ERFA?
According to the latest NFL CBA, “Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.”
That was an easy decision for the Jets this offseason because Briggs has proven to be a player worth well more than the league minimum.
Jets Have an Insane Value in Briggs
On August 20, 2025, the Jets struck a trade with the Cleveland Browns. They sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick and Briggs.
In essence, the Jets picked up a player and will pick slightly later in the draft.
Briggs, 24, will turn 25 before the start of the 2026 season.
He appeared in 17 games and made eight starts. With those opportunities, he forced a fumble, registered four sacks, totalted 38 tackles, had eight tackles for loss, and finished with 10 quarterback hits.
The Jets gave up a pittance and in return acquired a viable starting caliber defensive lineman, who is still young, and is under cheap team control for the 2026 season.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic called it arguably the best move of the general manager Darren Mougey era on “Jets Final Drive.”
According to Over The Cap, Briggs is the No. 136 highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL with his $1.07 million annual salary.
While Mougey has only been with the Jets for a little more than a year, he has already accomplished a ton in the trade market.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed that Mougey has pulled off four trades this offseason and 12 trades overall since taking over as GM as of Tuesday, March 17.
Mougey Is Developing a Reputation
The current Jets GM has made a habit of transforming late-round picks into dart throws at young players with upside.
“I think Darren Mougey has safely proven that he’s extremely adept at working between the margins to find value — trading Day 3 picks for starting caliber players on cheap contracts,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic posted on social media.
Here is a list of those players:
Mougey has also picked up young players in deals that are perceived as random throw-ins but are actually upside opportunities.
That group includes: defensive tackle Mazi Smith, wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, and wide receiver John Metchie.
Sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don’t. However, either way, it has always been low-risk versus high-reward type moves (so far).
If the player hits, like Briggs, you get a cheap quality player that gives you flexibility to spend money elsewhere. If the player misses, Metchie, they leave in free agency, and you move on.
It has been a unique level of roster construction that has helped the underbelly of the Jets roster over the last 12 calendar months.