Jets to release Eric Decker after trade talks stall
— -- The New York Jets are releasing wide receiver Eric Decker after failing to agree to a trade that made sense for the team, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
With other teams wanting the Jets to eat some of Decker's salary, New York could not make the numbers work for trade, the source said. Decker is signed through the 2018 season. He is scheduled to be paid $7.25 million in base salary in 2017 and $7.5 million in 2018.
The Jets had announced last Tuesday that they were moving on from Decker and would release him if they were unsuccessful in finding a trade partner.
A day later, he said goodbye to the Jets and their fans in a series of tweets.
Decker, 30, underwent hip and shoulder surgeries last fall, but he is healthy and has been practicing.
He was limited to three games last season but caught 80 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2015. He also had two seasons of more than 1,000 yards receiving and double-digit touchdown totals for the Denver Broncos, who selected him in the third round (87th overall) of the 2010 draft.
In seven NFL seasons he has 385 receptions for 5,253 yards and 52 touchdowns.
The Jets' top receivers now are Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson, who have a combined 122 career catches.
The team reached out to retired star Steve Smith Sr. on Tuesday, seemingly out of due diligence, to gauge his interest in returning to the field, but Smith told the Jets he was not interested, NFL Network reported.
ESPN's Rich Cimini contributed to this report.
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