The New York Jets have one of the worst chances of making the NFL playoffs of any team in the NFL. As a matter of fact, current betting odds states that the two teams that have the least chance of playing each other in the Super Bowl this year are the Jets and San Francisco 49ers. Those odds might get even bigger after the Jets released one of their top wide receivers today. ESPN reported that the Jets released Eric Decker when they couldn’t find a team to trade him to.
The purging of the New York Jets
This is just the latest move as the New York Jets almost completely purge their team, setting them up for a very difficult 2017 NFL season.
Two years ago, the two top receivers for the New York Jets were Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, who combined for 189 receptions, 2,529 yards, and 26 touchdowns. Last season, both struggled thanks to terrible quarterback play and only combined for 68 receptions and Decker missed 13 games due to a shoulder injury.
Now, Brandon Marshall is playing for the New York Giants, where he says he will retire after two seasons. Eric Decker is now gone as well, with the Jets saying that teams were interested in a trade but not in picking up Decker’s contract. Last year’s leading receiver for the New York Jets was Quincy Enunwa with 58 receptions for 857 yards. He should start this season as well alongside Robby Anderson.
The two have combined for only 122 total receptions in their entire careers.
Eric Decker says goodbye
While Brandon Marshall was more than ready to get away from the New York Jets and join a team that can actually compete for a championship with the Giants, Decker seemed disappointed to leave the Jets. Decker took to Twitter and thanked the Jets for the last three years of his career.
He also apologized to Jets fans for not being able to accomplish more during his time in New York and he thanked them for all their support.
Eric Decker, 30, had three 1,000-yard seasons in four years. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Denver Broncos in 2012-2013 before leaving for the Jets. In his first season in New York, his numbers dropped to 962 yards but he rebounded in 2015 when he and Brandon Marshall shined.
His first season with the New York Jets saw the team just win four games but they improved to 10 wins in his second year. In 2016, everything seemed to fall apart starting with the quarterback play.
Eric Decker was scheduled to make $7.25 million, which was too much to sell to teams with him coming off his shoulder injury. Decker is one of 11 veterans that the New York Jets have cut or traded this offseason.
