Rich CiminiDec 18, 2025, 01:55 AM
CloseRich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — For the second time in a week, the New York Jets have extended a potential free agent.
Tight end Jeremy Ruckert agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract extension on Wednesday, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The deal can be worth a maximum of $5.5 million per year, the source said.
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Ruckert, a 2022 third-round pick, has produced at a modest level — only 55 receptions and one touchdown for his career — but he’s a reliable blocker and a contributor on special teams. Coach Aaron Glenn sees Ruckert as an ideal fit in the culture he’s trying to build.
Used mainly as the No. 2 tight end, behind rookie Mason Taylor, Ruckert has set career highs this season for receptions (20) and receiving yards (163). With 383 offensive snaps, he’s on the verge of setting a career high in that category, too.
For Ruckert, who played his college ball at Ohio State, this an extension of his boyhood dream. He grew up a Jets fan in Lindenhurst, New York.
General manager Darren Mougey is trying to be proactive with pending free agents. Last week, he signed starting center Josh Myers to a two-year, $11 million extension.