The New York Jets officially reported for training camp Wednesday.
After deciding not to hold their mandatory minicamp, Gang Green became the first team to report because they play in the Hall of Fame game in Canton on Thursday, Aug. 3. The team’s accelerated training camp schedule will have them begin this particular stage of the offseason work a week earlier than most other teams.
And with that, the team made a major move Wednesday.
The Jets signed Will McDonald IV to his rookie contract, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes. McDonald was among a handful of first-round picks from April’s NFL Draft that remained unsigned and with the Jets reporting for training camp on Wednesday, it was imperative that they moved quickly to ensure that the Iowa State product wouldn’t miss any valuable time.
McDonald arrived for the start of training camp on Wednesday. And he did so in grand style.
This isn’t the first time that the Jets have waited until the last moment to sign their top draft picks. Two years ago, it was Zach Wilson, who was the last first-round pick to sign his rookie contract. He actually missed two days of training camp before eventually agreeing to terms on a deal. Similar things have transpired with Sam Darnold, Quinnen Williams and Mekhi Becton, and while none of them missed camp, they got pretty close.
For whatever reason, this has become an organizational issue because of the offset language. Rookie contracts are tied to the player’s slotted draft position, so there really isn’t too much to be negotiated besides that language. The Jets got down to the wire with McDonald, but fortunately for both sides, the young pass-rusher won’t miss anytime.
[Connor Hughes, New York Jets]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.