New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and defensive end Jermaine Johnson, who were the Jets’ first-round picks in 2022, will have their fifth-year options exercised, according to general manager Darren Mougey.

“Yeah, we have time to make that decision, but I do anticipate exercising those fifth-year options on those players,” Mougey said in a press conference along with Jets first-year head coach Aaron Glenn.

Gardner and Wilson have been arguably the two most productive players for the Jets over the past three seasons. Gardner is a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro selection. Wilson has gone for over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons. The questions lie with Johnson, who, despite being a Pro Bowler in 2023, is coming off a torn Achilles tendon.

The options for Gardner, Wilson and Johnson are $20.2 million, $16.8 million and $13.4 million, respectively, according to Over the Cap. These salaries are fully guaranteed.

Fifth-year options can often lead to contract extensions, however, Mougey didn’t comment on a possible extension to any of the former first-round picks. He did say that Gardner and Wilson are eligible for long-term extensions.

“I’m going to get through the draft, but in terms of contracts and extensions on any players, I’ll always keep that in-house, and we’ll keep those dealings in those discussions in-house,” Mougey said.

Any extension would likely be lucrative.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman has renewed his beef with the New York Jets this week, describing the team as unorganized and dysfunctional. In return, several Jets players have described him as bitter and accused him of leaking their game plans to other teams.

Hardman began his career in Kansas City, where he spent first four seasons as a deep route runner with moderate success. The Jets signed him in the 2023 off-season, hoping to give new quarterback Aaron Rodgers versatile receiving options. Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury in Week 1 and Hardman struggled to earn playing time, appearing in just five games and making one six-yard reception.

New York traded Hardman back to Kansas City in October, giving him a chance to reunite with his former team. Though he did little during the regular season, he went on to catch the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl to help the Chiefs defeat the 49ers.

Even after winning his second championship in Kansas City, however, Hardman still had harsh words for his former team in East Rutherford on an episode of The Pivot Podcast published Tuesday.

“I ain’t trying to bash nobody, but y’all treat certain guys that shouldn’t be treated like they’re treated,” Hardman said. “I don’t understand why you feel I can’t compete with any of these guys y’all are playing in front of me. I just feel like it’s not an established coaching staff there. You just got a new coaching staff that came in and there’s no standard there. Everybody do what they want to do.”

Most of the receiver’s complaints seemed directed at Nathaniel Hackett, the Jets’ offensive coordinator who joined the team last summer. Hackett was coming off a dreadful 2022 season as head coach of the Broncos, but the Jets reportedly hired him in order to sway Rodgers away from the Packers. The pair worked together extensively in Green Bay.

“Granted, the defense has more of a stabilized standard with the coaching staff on that side, so you can tell the defense has got a standard,” Hardman said. “But the offense is just like, ‘We’ll just figure it out. It’s Aaron’s show. Let Aaron do what Aaron do.’ But then when Aaron goes down, it’s like, ‘We don’t know what to do.’ But it’s that same coach (Hackett) that was out of a job the previous year, but managed to get a new job.”

The wide receiver’s comments have dredged up longstanding criticism of the Jets’ 2023 season, in which the team invested most of its time securing Rodgers at quarterback, only for the 40-year-old to suffer an Achilles injury. Jets players have also been quick to strike back at Hardman, however.

“Be careful getting information from disgruntled former employees,” Jets punter Thomas Morstead said in a social media post Tuesday. “Getting beat out by a rookie free agent (presumably Xavier Gipson) after being guaranteed millions of dollars is tough to deal with.”

While Morstead simply dismissed Hardman’s claims, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner took things a step further when he seemed to imply that the former Jets receiver leaked the team’s game plans to several opponents. These opponents reportedly included the Eagles and Chiefs. Subsequent reports suggest that this was a widespread belief about Hardman within the team.

In addition to accusations of leaking game plans, Hardman also caused a problem for himself during the podcast interview when he claimed that he told Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and general manager Brian Veach to “come get me.” Such conversations before a trade could qualify as illegal tampering. Hardman clarified his comments in a social media post Wednesday.

“Never had talks with KC before the trade, so we can CLEAR THAT UP!” Hardman said. “The Jets handled my trade on their own and did the right thing by sending me back to KC!”

Veach said that the Chiefs may re-sign Hardman for the 2024 season, though his future with the team still remains unclear.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers commented on his Monday Night Football injury in an Instagram post Wednesday, thanking his supporters and promising to “rise yet again.” Rodgers only played four snaps for New York before exiting his debut game with a season-ending Achilles injury.

“Thank you to every person that has reached out, called, texted, DM’d, connected through a friend, etc,” Rodgers said. “It has meant a ton to me, and I’ll try and get back to all of you soon.

“I’m completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions, but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin the healing process today.

“The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again.”

Rodgers became the biggest story in football this offseason when he came to New York through a trade with the Green Bay Packers. Considered the missing piece for an improving Jets team full of young stars, Rodgers was expected to lead the team to a deep postseason run after years of mediocrity.

Several of Rodgers’ teammates have spoken about Rodgers since his injury, describing feelings of immense disappointment. Beyond his role as an elite passer, he also quickly became a leader off the field for the team’s young core. He can still serve in this role on the sidelines this season, but he will still be missed under center.

“His presence, his words… Like I said, he’s as much a football coach as he is a player, and just having his presence, his thoughts, his words and his leadership, I think anyone would want that,” head coach Robert Saleh said about Rodgers Wednesday.

in Rodgers’ absence, Zach Wilson will return to his starting position for the Jets. In two seasons with the team, the second of which was hampered by injuries, Wilson has struggled to prove himself as a franchise quarterback. But in a massive surprise, the back-up quarterback played a key part in the Jets’ Week 1 comeback victory over the Bills. Such a victory seemed impossible after Rodgers left on the team’s first drive of the game.

Beyond Wilson, the team still has the same talented players it had before. Defensive phenoms Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, along with ballhawk Jordan Whitehead, all played key parts in shutting down Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense, while receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall led the offense with big plays throughout the game in Week 1. Last year, the team’s problems at quarterback kept these young stars from reaching the playoffs, but as Rodgers noted later in his Instagram post, they are beginning 2023 with a 1-0 record.