New York Jets restructure CJ Uzomah’s contract
Contracts for the New York Jets capped aircraft began to be reworked. Early this morning, NFL Network’s Tom Bellisero reported that the Jets turned $4.5 million of tight end CJ Uzomah’s salary into a bonus. The move saves $3.6 million in maximum space for the aircraft.
New York Jets Rework CJ Uzomah Deal:
Last season, the Jets signed Uzomah in free agency to a three-year, $24 million contract. In the first year of the deal, his cap was only $3.3 million. This year and the next, it was set to max out at $10.3 million.
Now, with his deal reworked, Ozuma now has a 2023 cap of $6.7 million. However, his pro rata bonus has increased from $2.3 to $3.2 million. Ozuma’s 2023 salary was originally due $8 million, all base salary. With $4.5 million paid out now through this restructuring, his base salary for 2023 drops to $3.5 million, and therefore, his cap number goes down.
In 2024, Ozuma’s share capital is set to reach $11.2 million. However, none of his salary is guaranteed.
A final point worth noting here is that the Jets tackled three void years here, through 2027. Ozuma received a split bonus of $900,000 even after his contract expired. It looks like the Jets will get $2.7 million of that prorated bonus up front in 2025, though, so nothing will conflict with the budget for 2026 or 2027.
This is likely the first of many contracts reworked for the Jets this offseason. Even after Ozuma’s restructuring, the Jets still only had $1.8 million in cap space. For a team that badly needs to make the playoffs next year and some obvious situation of need, expect more contract restructurings or even some releases from the Jets in the near future.
