Keeping Marcus Maye in New York With Long-Term Deal is 'Priority' For Jets After Draft

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas said signing safety Marcus Maye to a long term contract will be a priority now that the NFL Draft is over

Max Goodman | May 2, 2021

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Jets made several additions to their secondary over the last few days in the NFL draft, but their biggest move of the offseason is still in the works.

With the draft behind him, Jets general manager Joe Douglas expects New York to continue to negotiate with safety Marcus Maye about a long-term contract.

"It's still a priority to keep Marcus here long term," Douglas said Saturday. "We have had productive texts back and forth with his agent and we're hoping to really dive into this now that now that the draft's over."

That's not the first time Douglas has said New York will prioritize contract discussions with Maye. He's reiterated that stance on multiple occasions since the conclusion of the 2020 season.

New York ended up placing the franchise tag on Maye in March, giving all parties involved more time to come to an agreement. If they can't come to terms, the safety will play on a one-year deal—his fifth year on the Jets—entering free agency in 2022.

Negotiations appeared to hit a speed bump a few months ago when Maye's agent blasted the Jets in a social media post.

Maye hasn't just improved on the field over the last few years in green and white, the safety has blossomed into a leader. Since fellow safety Jamal Adams was traded away, the 28-year-old has taken on a bigger role in the secondary and in the locker room, a voice of the team during the best and worst times. He's been a member of the organization since he was picked in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft and has articulated in the past his desire to stick around for the long term.

Maye had the best season of his career in 2020 as well, racking up 88 tackles to go along with two sacks, two interceptions and 11 defended passes.

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Published May 2, 2021

MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.