Marcus Maye will play the 2021 season on his one-year franchise tag after he and the Jets failed to agree on a long-term extension before Thursday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Maye was one of six tagged players who did not agree to extensions, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The scoreboard:
— 10 players tagged
— Dak Prescott, Leonard Williams, Justin Simmons and Taylor Moton get new deals.
— Marcus Williams, Marcus Maye, Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson & Cam Robinson play on the tag for the 1st time.
— Brandon Scherff plays on the tag for the 2nd time.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2021
Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas previously said that they wanted to keep Maye long-term, but they weren’t able to agree on a new deal after the safety signed his one-year, fully guaranteed franchise tag earlier this offseason for $10.612 million. Rapoport reported Tuesday that talks between the two sides had fallen apart in advance of the deadline.
Now the Jets can’t offer Maye a new deal until after the season when the team can either place the franchise tag on him for a second time or try to sign him outright in unrestricted free agency. The latter option is much riskier though, as Maye could choose another franchise or force the Jets into a bidding war for his services.
Of course, there’s also a chance the Jets trade Maye before then, thus guaranteeing they get something upon his departure.
Maye is coming off his best season in the NFL. He stepped up admirably after the Jets traded Jamal Adams before the 2020 season. Maye finished with 88 combined tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles while also proving himself as a respected locker room presence.
That all wasn’t enough to get him a new deal, though.
Now the 28-year-old Maye will have to wait another season for a long-term contract. He’ll have an opportunity to build on his career year in the Jets’ new defensive scheme under Jeff Ulbrich.
