Jets Expected to Make No-Brainer Will McDonald IV Decision

The New York Jets have just over one month left to officially make a decision on the fifth-year option for 26-year-old defensive end Will McDonald IV for the 2027 season.

The final deadline for teams to make decisions on fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is May 1. For the Jets, they will have to make an official decision on McDonald, who was selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

While the official move hasn't been made just yet, Jets general manager Darren Mougey insinuated that the option will be picked up on Tuesday while speaking from the NFL annual meetings over in Phoenix, Arizona, as shared on X by The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt.

"Darren Mougey said he anticipates the Jets will exercise Will McDonald’s fifth-year option," Rosenblatt wrote on X.

Why the Jets are doing the right thing

New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (9) runs off the field after sacking Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during an NFL Week 10 game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The fifth-year option for McDonald is currently estimated to carry a cap hit just over $14.4 million for the 2027 season. With a price tag like that, it's a pretty easy decision for New York to make. McDonald is the Jets' best pass rusher.

In 2025, McDonald racked up eight sacks for the Jets in 15 games played. The next closest to McDonald was Jowon Briggs with four sacks. In 2024, McDonald racked up 10 1/2 sacks in 17 games played. He's going to turn 27 years old in June. With the price tag of elite pass rushers consistently in the $25-plus million per year range, including a few over $30 million and $40 million, keeping someone with the upside of racking up double-digit sacks with a salary cap hit just over $14 million is a no-brainer.

The Jets need to bolster the edge even more this offseason and the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft will be an easy way to do so for the Jets. With the No. 2 pick, the Jets could select Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese or Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey and be in a very good place for the 2026 season and beyond by pairing them with McDonald.

At the very least, the Jets will have McDonald for the 2026 and 2027 seasons and hopefully longer. But the pass rush certainly could be much better over the next two years with him in town and a rookie coming in. The decision to keep McDonald on the fifth-year option in 2027 is an easy one.