Jamison Crowder agrees to take pay cut to remain with Jets, per reports

The New York Jets wanted wide receiver Jamison Crowder back on the roster in 2021, but they wanted him to take a pay cut. And that appears to be exactly what happened. 

Crowder and the Jets agreed to terms Monday on a renegotiated deal that will keep him with the team in 2021, according to ESPN and NFL Network. Crowder was set to make $10 million this season, the final year of his deal, prior to taking a pay cut.

The deal comes as Jets players arrived at the facility for mandatory minicamp, which starts Tuesday. Crowder, who skipped voluntary OTA workouts this spring as the Jets and his representatives worked on a new deal, is expected to be in attendance. 

Crowder has led the Jets in touchdowns and receptions the past two years and has been their only proven receiver in what has been one of the weakest position groups on the roster. But the Jets bolstered their pass-catching corps in the offseason, adding free agents Corey Davis and Keelan Cole and Elijah Moore in the second round of the draft.

That depth and Crowder's contract gave general manager Joe Douglas leverage to ask the receiver to play for less. Crowder had no guaranteed money left on his contract, so the Jets could have cut him at any time. This late in the offseason, it might have been difficult for Crowder to find another team to pay him significant money, which is likely why he agreed to stick around for less.

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And even though the Jets have an improved wide receiver room, they are still short on established players. They'll be relying on veterans Davis and Cole, but Moore and 2020 second-round pick Denzel Mims are still unproven.

One or two injuries could have left them without a reliable target — a situation the Jets often have found themselves in recent seasons — which would not have been ideal for the development of rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. Now, they have some more insurance.

Meanwhile, safety Marcus Maye, who also skipped OTA workouts while he works on a contract extension with the Jets, is also expected to participate in mandatory minicamp and is already at the facility. The team posted a video of Maye participating in a photoshoot Monday morning at the facility. 

Maye is set to make $10.6 million for the Jets this season after the team used the franchise tag on him earlier this year. The two sides have until July 15 to negotiate an extension.