If you’re a Jets fan, July probably gets you on your toes more often than the season does. It’s always the same old story. Late July, training camp around the corner, and instead of getting hyped for the season, you’re refreshing ‘X’ wondering why the team’s top rookie still hasn’t signed. But in 2025, that anxiety is missing. In its place? A growing sense that something’s… working. And the newest leadership duo—Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey, might finally be doing what past regimes couldn’t: getting the easy things right before the season even starts.

For Jets fans, rookie holdouts have always felt like more than just paperwork drama; they’ve been a red flag. Like, if the team can’t even lock in their top picks on time, how are they supposed to manage trades, game plans, or a playoff push? And that is exactly the sentiment the host, John B, of Locked On Jets echoed in a recent episode. “If you can’t get the easy things right, you’re gonna mess up the hard stuff,” he said. And he’s got a point.

No team has fumbled rookie signings quite like the Jets in the rookie wage scale era. And let’s be honest, these things are supposed to be almost automatic. But somehow, New York kept making it complicated. In 2013, Dee Milliner missed valuable reps right out of the gate. In 2018, Sam Darnold showed up late over a dispute about offset language. Quinnen Williams didn’t sign until after camp had already started in 2019. And in 2021? Zach Wilson missed back-to-back practices before finally getting the deal done.

One or two holdouts are bad luck. Or, let’s pin it down to simple mistakes. But four in a decade? This stems from poor ownership. Under former GMs like John Idzik, Mike Maccagnan, and even Joe Douglas at times, the Jets consistently tripped over the basics: contract structure, bonus payouts, offset language. Stuff other teams streamlined years ago. As the host put it: “Two of the last three GMs have not had their full draft classes signed on time for training camp… and I blame ownership for not being proactive.”

So when 2025 came around and second-round pick Mason Taylor still hadn’t inked his deal heading into the last week before camp, Jets fans felt that familiar pit in their stomach. Here we go again, right? But then? Nothing. No holdout. No drama. Just a signed rookie and a full roster reporting on time. For once, it actually feels like the Jets are getting out of their own way, not with splashy moves, but by nailing the very basics like a team that finally gets it.

Taylor’s signing is great news for Justin Fields and Aaron Glenn

The final box was checked when second-round tight end Mason Taylor finally signed his rookie deal. Four good years are worth about $10.5 million, with 91.3% of it guaranteed! That’s almost unheard of. For comparison, guys drafted around the 42nd overall pick usually land somewhere in the 77–78% guaranteed range. But it doesn’t matter. The fact that they penned it down early? That’s what matters.

To others, this might seem like a minor footnote. But the Jets fans know how important this was. It means Mason Taylor shows up on time, ready to roll from day one. It means no wasted reps, no chemistry delays with Justin Fields, who’s stepping into 2025 on a 2-year, $40 million deal ($30M guaranteed) after the March trade from Pittsburgh. Most importantly, it means that Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey aren’t just saying they’re supporting their quarterback; they are actually doing it.

Taylor wasn’t just some best-player-available pick. He is tailor-made for this system. His 6’5”, 251-pound LSU product checks every box for what this new Jets offense is trying to be under Aaron Glenn. He’s athletic, he can block, and he’s flexible enough to line up in-line or split out wide. In a West Coast-style system built on versatility? He fits in like a glove.

The depth chart? Mason is already penciled in as Tight End no. 1, followed by Jeremy Ruckert. And being a starting QB in week one calls for a strong training camp. Thanks to the front office, that’s exactly how it should be. And for Justin Fields? This is just as important.

Last year in Pittsburgh, he was playing catch-up after being traded in the middle of the offseason. But this year? He gets a clean slate. Full training camp. All his receivers are signed and ready. A coaching staff with a plan. And a front office that, for once, isn’t stumbling out of the gate.