Olu Fashanu, Jets Agree to 4-Year, $20.5M Rookie Contract After 2024 NFL Draft

Doric SamMay 13, 2024

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The New York Jets will have Aaron Rodgers’ blindside secured for at least the next four years.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Jets have reached an agreement with left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu on a four-year rookie contract worth $20.5 million. The deal is fully guaranteed and also includes a fifth-year team option.

New York selected Fashanu with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NFL draft in April.

Fashanu spent four seasons at Penn State and established himself as one of the best offensive linemen in the nation. He was named a consensus All-American during his senior season and earned the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award.

The Jets made it a priority to fortify their offensive line after their disastrous 2023 campaign in which they used 13 different starting combinations. 2020 first-round pick Mekhi Becton occupied the left tackle spot for most of the year, but he didn’t perform at his best in his first year back from knee surgery. New York didn’t pick up his fifth-year option and allowed Becton to hit free agency, where he signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Before drafting Fashanu, reinforcements were already added. The Jets signed longtime Dallas Cowboys left tackle and eight-time Pro Bowler Tyron Smith to a team-friendly one-year deal. New York also acquired veteran right tackle Morgan Moses from the Baltimore Ravens and signed former Raiders left guard John Simpson, giving the team three new starters for the 2024 season alongside second-year center Joe Tippman and talented right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who is working his way back from a torn Achilles.

Still, the Jets felt it was necessary to draft Fashanu. While a first-round pick starting the year on the bench isn’t usually ideal, the 21-year-old will have the opportunity to learn from experienced veterans Smith and Moses. He will also be ready to step in if either player suffers an injury. Fashanu said that he took some reps at right tackle during the pre-draft process and would also be “super comfortable” playing left guard.

Signing Fashanu to his rookie deal caps off a strong offseason for the Jets as they try to compete for a playoff spot in 2024.