The Jacksonville Jaguars face a handful of questions heading into the regular season. Specifically, which of their players is going to get an extension next? Tight end Brenton Strange, safety Antonio Johnson, and wide receiver Parker Washington are entering contract year, and all of them have done enough to earn new deals. If the Jags want to prioritize Strange, they may have trouble touching base in light of the latest Kyle Pitts update.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Atlanta Falcons gave Pitts a three-year deal worth $54 million. His average of $18 million per year ranks third, only behind George Kittle and Trey McBride.
If Jacksonville thought that extending Strange wasn't going to come cheap, his contract demands may have just gone up.
The Jaguars must extend Brenton Strange after the Kyle Pitts deal
Kyle Pitts and Brenton Strange are different kinds of tight ends. The former is a pretty good pass-catcher out of the slot — he has a 1,000-yard season and just came up short of the mark last year — but a poor blocker. The latter excels in both areas but won't reel in a high volume of passes in the Jacksonville offense. Still, he's become a valuable piece for the Jags, which is why extending him is a priority.
You could argue that Pitts was able to get a better deal because he can create mismatches. However, the Strange camp can argue that he's a more well-rounded player and thus deserves a contract in the same ballpark.
This begs the question: Could Strange get $18 million if he struck a deal before the regular season? Probably not, but he could still cash in. Before Pitts signed his extension, he was set to play on the $15 million franchise tag. Nobody would bat an eye if his Jaguars counterpart aimed for a deal that pays him somewhere around that amount.
For the sake of the argument, let's say Strange got a four-year deal worth $60 million. His $15 million per year would rank fourth among tight ends in the NFL. Currently, Isaiah Likely holds that spot at $13.3 million.
Why the Jaguars have yet extend Brenton Strange
From an outside perspective, it's hard to tell why the Jaguars haven't struck a deal with Brenton Strange. Already, they've extended defensive end TravonWalker and long-snapper Ross Matiscik, so you can bet it's not for a lack of trying. What is it then?
Vice president of football operations Tony Boselli made it clear that the Jags are working to re-sign Strange and Parker Washington, but it's possible that they haven't met their contract demands. Moreover, Jacksonville could take a wait-and-see approach.
The Jaguars just drafted Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol. Perhaps they can see how they fare throughout the year, and if either one shows enough, the Jags could let Strange walk in 2027.
Of course, the goal should be to extend Brenton Strange, but it may have just gotten a bit more challenging after the Kyle Pitts extension.
