The New York Jets are asking veteran left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson to take a pay cut in order to help the team re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, according to a report.
The New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta reports the news and says the team talked with Ferguson last week at their facility about the plan. They made it clear to the former first-round draft pick that taking a pay cut would help get Fitzpatrick under contract.
Ferguson is nearing the end of an eight-year contract signed in 2010. He is set to make over $10 million for the upcoming season, but the team would like that to be reduced by $4-5 million.
Mehta reports that Ferguson may agree to a cut.
Ferguson, 32, could also decline an unreasonable pay cut request and force a release if he wanted to go elsewhere, but the sense is that he’d be amenable to playing on a fair reduced salary, according to sources. The third option is retirement.
The Jets had been giving Ferguson the silent treatment since the season ended, apparently as part of their plan to convince him to take less. As of late March, no coach or member of the front office had contacted him. That changed when the team met about the uncomfortable matter of taking a pay cut.
Ferguson has never missed a game nor appeared on the injury report during his career, though his skills are declining. The Jets do not have many other options currently at left tackle. They are also said to be low-balling Fitzpatrick in negotiations.
