WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — For financial reasons, the New York Jets wanted to move John Franklin-Myers while getting a little something, anything, back in return.
The Jets liked Franklin-Myers, mind you. He was a very good defensive end over five years for them. He was so good that during the 2021 season they signed him to a four-year, $55 million contract extension. But after working out a trade for Haason Reddick, who because he had 50.5 sacks the previous four years, figured he deserved more than his $14.5 million scheduled payout, the Jets had to cut salary elsewhere.
Cut while getting something back. The Broncos gave the Jets a sixth-round draft pick – not in this year’s draft, not in next year’s draft, but in the 2026 draft. Not much for a player of Franklin-Myers’ caliber. It was a sign-and-trade deal as the Broncos negotiated a two-year contract that pays him $7 million this year and if all goes well, $8 million next year.
“They pretty much told me they would give me permission to talk to teams,’’ Franklin-Myers said of the Jets in an interview with 9NEWS this week. “Ultimately it was my decision where I wanted to go as long as they could work the trade part out.
“And the Broncos reached out. Talked to Vance [Joseph, the Broncos’ defensive coordinator]. Talked to Sean [Payton, the head coach]. These guys, they motivated me. They got me going. They talked about things that I would be able to do, moving me around the front and how I could help this team.
“[Defensive linemen] Zach Allen I was a huge fan of, D.J. Jones huge fan of. Knew Alex [Singleton], trained with him. And [defensive tackle] Malcolm Roach, I’ve trained with him. I keep saying it, it truly is about the people when it comes to places to play. Getting a chance to play for coach Sean and VJ and get a chance to play with these guys, I couldn’t pass it up. These guys, they fit me. They’re physical, they run, they hit and talk mess while doing it. What else can you ask for?”
There was all kinds of mess talking last week at Tampa Bay. The Denver D sacked Baker Mayfield seven times, six in the second half. Despite leaving the Broncos’ previous game early with a concussion, Franklin-Myers came back in Week 3 to get one of those sacks.
“It’s one of those where we put in the work, you can’t deny that,’’ Franklin-Myers said. “It was time for us to play a complete game. We put it on tape that we can do it. And confidence is a big thing in this league. Once you know you can do it, it’s easier to do it again.”
In that case, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will need every bit his 20 years of pocket instincts Sunday (11 a.m. MDT kickoff) at MetLife Stadium. Franklin-Myers is back to play against his former team in the stadium he called home, a place where his friendly nature met so many acquaintances, and not all of them football players or coaches.
“The people make it special,’’ he said. “And the players, they were cool. I enjoyed my time there but the people made it special. Made my time there unforgettable. Those guys mean a lot to me. It will be great to see those guys. But at the same time there’s no friends in this business.’’
Franklin-Myers is a little more regular folk than most football stars. There’s no sense getting full of yourself when your Texas high school went 0-41 during his four years.
“That’s definitely the truth,’’ he said. “It was a tough one, I’ll say that much.’’
How can a team who had a player good enough to play and play well in the NFL go winless all four of his school years? Shouldn’t the coach have given him the ball, no matter his size?
“You ask me, I’m trying to … Hey, why don’t you say that one more time?’’ Franklin-Myers said with a laugh. “And go back 15, 20 years. No, I wish. We were playing Texas football. I don’t mean to brag but Texas football is the best in the world. Those 10 games we played [each year] we played the 10 best people every single year. So that’s why we lost.”
Also part of his humble background was playing his college ball at Stephen F. Austin, a FCS program, and getting cut after his rookie year with the Rams. The Greenbriar Resort, where the Broncos spent the past week in preparation for the Jets game, may be Sean Payton’s happy place, but Franklin-Myers found himself out of his routine.
“It’s definitely out of the way,’’ he said. “It’s one of those things where you come here you know what you’re here for. You’re here to lock in. And you’re here to bond. I’ve had the most dinners I’ve ever had with the D-Line in my career (laughs) these last two days.
“There’s definitely some good food. And somebody brought it up, I’ve seen you eat three times in three hours. What else am I supposed to do here?”
Let’s see if Franklin-Myers and the Denver D feasts on Rodgers and the Jets’ offense Sunday now that the team made it to East Rutherford, N.J.
