Jets Send Message to Future Franchise QB Following Joe Tippmann Extension

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) participates in a drill during minicamp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

"We are ready."

That's the message the New York Jets have sent to their future franchise quarterback after Monday. Who that player might be has yet to be answered. It could be a top veteran on the trade block next season, or a high draft pick in an expectedly loaded 2027 class.

It doesn't matter who it ends up being. The Jets have completely overhauled the talent on the roster to the point where the next signal-caller, dubbed "the savior," can find success early on.

And the latest extension handed out to starting guard Joe Tippmann is the latest example of that.

Jets' long-term future

New York happily signed Tippmann to a four-year, $66.2 million extension Monday morning. It's the first long-term extension given to a player from the 2023 draft class, and the fourth by a player not drafted by current general manager Darren Mougey.

In short, the current Jets regime is not tied to players drafted by them, but is willing to keep them from past regimes.

Tippmann's extension is more than just the success rate of a draft class. He was the last piece of a core that needed long-term commitments. He was expected to be a free agent at the end of the regular season, and now will call New York home for the foreseeable future.

The Jets, meanwhile, have the below list left to decide on as pending free agents in 2027.

- QB Geno Smith
- DT Harrison Phillips
- ED Kingsley Enagbare
- DT David Onyemata
- CB Nahshon Wright
- S Andre Cisco

There's a very good chance none of the players listed will get another contract with the Jets. That means the team's core is set, especially on offense.

Ten of the 11 projected starters on offense will be on the team next season. The only position that remains up for grabs is quarterback. While Smith could certainly play well enough to get another year in New York, the chance of the team acquiring a franchise quarterback will be even higher by the end of the regular season.

It won't have to be through the draft, either. With the collection of veterans locked up for the long-term, veteran signal-callers who may be on the chopping block of their current teams could see the Jets as a viable destination.

For the first time in decades.

New York has the draft capital to make it happen with three first-round picks coming up in the 2027 draft. Could the team package a series of picks to acquire a player like Lamar Jackson if Baltimore actually grows tired of the signal-caller's off-field antics? What about C.J. Stroud in Houston if a long-term agreement can't be agreed to?

Whoever ends up being "the guy" for the Jets will have an offense with quality veterans and a group capable of raising the organization's ceiling over the next few years.

Tippmann's extension means the Jets are ready for business on offense. More importantly, though, it's a sign that the team has the foundation in place to find success with whichever quarterback they want in the long-term.