Garrett Wilson, Jets
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New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The market has been reset.
The Seattle Seahawks reached an agreement with WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a four-year $168.6 million contract extension that now makes him the highest-paid WR in NFL history, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
“The deal averages $42.15 million per year, and includes over $120 million guaranteed, both setting records for any wide receiver,” Schefter added.
ESPN radio’s Jake Asman explained why the New York Jets deserve credit after this historic contract, considering what they paid WR Garrett Wilson last offseason.
“I said at the time it will age gracefully because Garrett is really, really good and the receiving market is only going to continue to go up, up, up,” Asman explained.
He said JSN’s new deal is “well deserved” because he is “awesome.”
“Where I want to give the Jets credit is because they were proactive in getting an extension done a year ago with wide receiver Garrett Wilson. You look at how that contract is going to age. Garrett Wilson is now locked in for the long haul, and if you look at the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, Wilson goes from a top-five highest-paid wide receiver to now the top six,” Asman said.
“By being proactive with Garrett, having him locked in now for many more years to come, he is going to be quite the bargain. So give credit to Darren Mougey and the Jets front office, give credit to ownership, Woody [Johnson], spending money to lock in Garrett,” Asman added.
This Contract Will Continue to Age Well
Wilson is the sixth-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL with his $32.5 million annual salary. Last offseason, he signed a four-year $130 million extension with $90 million of that guaranteed.
As new wide receiver contracts hit, Wilson is only going to continue to drop lower on the highest-paid list.
More big-money deals are looming on the horizon.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter said this latest deal for JSN “will impact their division rival [Los Angeles] Rams, who could be working on a Puka Nacua extension this offseason. Nacua is entering the final year of his deal in 2026 and now has a new bar to clear.”
Adam Schefter
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s deal with the Seahawks is the latest jump in the WR market, one that will impact their division rival Rams, who could be working on a Puka Nacua extension this offseason.
Nacua is entering the final year of his deal in 2026 and now has a new bar to clear.
That means Wilson will likely soon fall to the No. 7 highest-paid wide receiver in football.
The Only Thing Holding Wilson Back
Wilson isn’t considered among the top tier of wide receivers in football. Last year, in ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler’s top-10 rankings as voted on by a panel of scouts, league execs, and coaches, Wilson was placed at No. 10.
There are two reasons for that.
Firstly, he hasn’t put up the truly elite top of the chart numbers. He has never had a double-digit touchdown season. Wilson has never had more than 1,200 receiving yards in a single season. The top receivers in the game achieve both of those things pretty regularly.
The second reason is why is that the case? Is it because Wilson isn’t good enough? Or is it because the quarterbacks he has played with stink?
You could make a strong argument that it is the latter. Across his four years in the league, Wilson has caught passes from nine different quarterbacks.
As he heads into year No. 5, Wilson is set to add a 10th quarterback to that list after the trade for Geno Smith.
Here is a crazy stat: since Garrett Wilson entered the league in 2022, he has caught passes from 9 different #Jets quarterbacks:
🏈 Zach Wilson🏈 Joe Flacco🏈 Mike White🏈 Trevor Siemian🏈 Tim Boyle🏈 Chris Streveler🏈 Aaron Rodgers🏈 Justin Fields🏈 Tyrod Taylor
Geno… pic.twitter.com/CN6tKkl6Ib
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 17, 2026