Breaking Down Jowon Briggs Contract Situation
Jowon Briggs being good for the Jets would be amazing for the franchise, especially from a financial standpoint. He’d be cheap for three more seasons on top of this one at a key position.
In the NFL, your contract and free agency status are determined in two different ways. Let’s break them down.
Minimum base salary is determined by the number of credited seasons for a player. A player earns a credited season by being on a full-pay spot (53-man roster, Reserve/Injured, or Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform) for a minimum of three games.
Accrued seasons are similar to credited seasons in the sense that there is a minimum number of games to accrue a season (six). However, accrued seasons determine a player’s free agency status when his contract expires.
In 2024, the Cleveland Browns drafted Briggs in the seventh round. He didn’t make the 53-man roster, but the Browns signed him to the practice squad, and eventually he was signed to their 53-man roster. They signed him to a two-year deal for $1.755 million. He didn’t qualify for an accrued season in 2024, but he did qualify for a credited season.
When the Jets traded for him, he had $960,000 left on his contract, and the Jets took that on.
Since he’s been on the Jets active roster for three games this season, his minimum base salary next season will be $1.075 million. If he’s on a full-pay portion of the team for another three weeks, he will earn his first accrued season.
Why are both of those important?
Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract is what is known as an Exclusive Rights Free Agent. He’s technically not a free agent at all. So that’s a misnomer.
When it comes to exclusive rights free agents, a team offers the player a minimum base salary contract for one season. The player then has two options. He may sign the contract, or he will sit out for the season.
If Briggs plays well for the rest of the season, and he continues his upward trend, the Jets will have Briggs in 2026 for the minimum base salary of $1.075 million. Then, in 2027, if he continues to play well, there will be a second ERFA season for Briggs, and the minimum salary for three credited seasons in 2027 is $1.19 million.
So, that means the Jets would have a quality player under control for three seasons and $3.225 million.
It doesn’t end there. After 2027, he’d be a restricted free agent. At that point, they’d use a right of refusal tender, which is a one-year deal. The ROFR tender goes up every year at the same rate as the cap. So, if the cap goes up 5%, the tender goes up by 5%.
This year’s tender was $3,263,000. Based on current cap trends, the ROFR tender will be $4,492,000 in 2028. That means four years of a quality player for $7.717 million. That’s an AAV of $1,929,250.
Then, he becomes an unrestricted free agent, and he can command money based on his talent and the market.
The Jets have an opportunity here, if they can help Jowon Briggs develop, to have a quality player for cheap value while developing their philosophy. That would only help Darren Mougy and Aaron Glenn in the long run, especially if they can help turn around the career of Justin Fields.