Jets' John Franklin-Myers Gets Emotional After Signing Extension: 'I Play Football For My Son'
Addressing the media on Friday, for the first time since agreeing to a huge extension with the Jets, John Franklin-Myers was as happy as can be.
The defensive lineman joked about taking teammates out for dinner, sticking around within an organization that's welcomed him with open arms and helped him take such a sizable step forward in his career.
When asked who he first called after signing his extension, however, that joy turned into pure emotion.
"My son honestly," he said. "I wish that he was there when I signed it, but it just happened so fast. You don't know how fast those talks go and then we wanted to get it done before heading to London, so he didn't get a chance to be there. But, I just wanted to talk to him. I play football..."
That's when Franklin-Myers put his head down, breaking down into tears as he tried to get the following words out.
"I play football for him. I just want to give him every opportunity."
Members of the press applauded as Franklin-Myers eventually walked away from the podium. It was as emotional of a moment you'll ever see during an NFL press conference.
Franklin-Myers and the Jets agreed to a four-year extension on Thursday, a deal worth $55 million with $30 million guaranteed. Waived just a few years ago by the Rams, this former fourth-round pick from Stephen F. Austin called the contract an honor.
"It's an honor to get that security and get a chance to feed my son and my kids in the future," he told reporters. "Just another opportunity to play with these guys and get coached from these coaches and just learn more. Looking forward that opportunity and four more years here."
The 25-year-old earned the payday with his growth between the lines, starting this season with multiple dominant performances. Franklin-Myers has already tied his career high with three sacks over just four games, racking up 15 tackles, three tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
He'll look to build on those totals on Sunday in London as the Jets take on the Falcons.
"JFM is a stud," head coach Robert Saleh said Friday. "When we first got here, we studied all our players and the one of the guys that stood out to us was JFM. Obviously, among other guys, but he stood out. We didn’t know anything about JFM and man, he can really take off. We felt he could be a really great fit for our system and what we ask out of our defensive line and he has done nothing but work, work, work. He’s been a tremendous leader and then you see his play on the football field. He’s absolutely dominant at times."
Now, rather than hitting free agency this offseason, Franklin-Myers is locked up until after the 2025 season. With Carl Lawson and Quinnen Williams both situated up front as well, New York is building one of the league's best defensive lines, a unit with a mix of rising stars and polished veterans.
Franklin-Myers explained that he didn't want to wait and test the free agent market because he believes this is the perfect organization for him going forward. That's a testament to the culture Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have been building in Florham Park.
"To me it's not about the money," Franklin-Myers said. "We do play football for money but I think it's about the environment and about getting the opportunity to play with guys and to win games ultimately. With this coaching staff and the guys that they give me opportunity to play with, I think I won't be in a better position anywhere and this defense suits me perfectly playing inside and outside. There was no question once we got the numbers right and mutual interest there."
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