Jets Pause on Long-Term Deal for Will McDonald IV

Overview

• The Jets informed reporters Wednesday that they will not pursue a long-term extension for first-round edge rusher Will McDonald IV this offseason and will let him play through 2026 before deciding.
• New York picked up McDonald's fifth-year option for 2027, which locks him under team control at an effective rate of about $16.75 million and reduces immediate guarantee exposure.
• The club finished its big in-house business for 2026 by signing running back Breece Hall to a three-year, $45.75 million deal and right guard Joe Tippmann to a four-year, $62 million extension with about $34.9 million guaranteed.
• McDonald enters 2026 with strong early-career production—about 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons—but the Jets prefer to use the coming season to see if his performance merits a high-value long-term contract or a possible trade.
• General manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn have signaled that major extension work for the year is complete, a cautious approach meant to manage cap risk and let on-field results drive future commitments.