For the second time in four years, the New York Jets are doling out a top-of-the-market contract for a cornerback. This time, it's Trumaine Johnson, whose whopper of a deal is similar in value to that of the Darrelle Revis blockbuster in 2015.
Johnson, who agreed to terms Tuesday, is expected to sign a five-year, $72.5 million contract that includes $34 million in fully guaranteed money, plus another $11 million in injury guarantees, according to a source.
The contract will become official after 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the start of the 2018 league year.
Let's put that in perspective. Based on full guarantees, which is really the best way to gauge the value of a contract, Johnson's deal is the third largest in Jets history. Revis got $39 million guaranteed in 2015 and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson got $37 million in 2016.
Neither deal worked out for the Jets, who flushed away a lot of cash for a couple of players who lasted only two years on their respective deals.
Johnson's APY (average per year) is $14.5 million, which exceeds that of Revis ($14 million) but falls short of Wilkerson's $17.2 million.
In terms of a league-wide scope, Johnson is the second-highest-paid corner, behind Josh Norman. A year ago, the Washington Redskins gave Norman a five-year, $75 million deal, including a fully guaranteed $36.5 million.
Johnson has done quite nicely for himself. The Los Angeles Rams used the franchise tag on him in 2016 and 2017, so you might say he's the Kirk Cousins of corners. Counting those two years, plus his first-year payout with the Jets, Johnson will make about $55 million over three seasons.
