The New York Jets and the Denver Broncos obviously love doing business together. After the Jets traded quarterback Zach Wilson to the Broncos earlier this week, the two teams also struck a deal for defensive end John Franklin-Myers.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets agreed to trade Franklin-Myers to the Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2026.
While Franklin-Myers was a solid contributor for the Jets in recent seasons, the team was looking to move him for a while in an attempt to clear salary cap space. Additionally, the veteran was deemed surplus after the team acquired Pro Bowler Haason Reddick in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reportedly, the Franklin-Myers trade almost didn’t go through because it included the Broncos receiving a 2024 fifth-rounder that the Jets ended up using to move up in the draft and select wide receiver Malachi Corley with the 65th overall pick. The two teams later reworked their agreement and pushed the trade through.
Trading Franklin-Myers will come with significant savings for the Jets, considering he was set to earn $29 million in the next two seasons under the terms of a four-year, $55 million extension he signed back in 2021. The Broncos, on the other hand, won’t be on the hook for this amount as they agreed to a new two-year deal, a $15 million deal with the player after the trade was completed.
John Franklin-Myers entered the league in 2018 as a fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams. He spent just one season in LA before being placed on waivers and picked up by the Jets. Franklin-Myers played 81 games in his five years as a pro, contributing with 135 tackles, 19.5 sacks, 61 QB hits, seven pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
