Robby Anderson: Jets “Want Me Back”

Robby Anderson is scheduled to reach free agency this offseason, but the wide receiver isn’t so sure that the Jets will let him get there.

[RELATED: Jets, Jamal Adams Begin Contract Talks]

“I know they’ve communicated that they do want me back,” Anderson said this week (via Bob Glauber of Newsday). “So, we’ve just got to see how it plays out.”

Anderson, 27 in May, indicated that talks are still preliminary and that numbers have yet to be exchanged. But, on his end, he expressed a desire to return to the only pro team he’s ever known.

In 2019, Anderson hauled in 52 receptions for 779 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers don’t jump off of the page, but Anderson believes that he would have had a much stronger year if not for Sam Darnold‘s extended absence.

Anderson, who made the Jets as a UDFA out of Temple in 2016, has already expressed a desire to see what else is out there. The Jets will have to make a strong offer to keep him from testing the waters, but, either way, he stands to see a nice bump over his $3.095MM salary in 2019.

The Jets should have enough flexibility to keep Anderson on a multi-year pact – they enter the offseason with a projected $51MM in cap room and they can clear out more by shedding some veteran deals. That list includes Darryl Roberts, whose salaries of $6MM and $7MM in 2020 and 2021 are completely non-guaranteed. Guard Brian Winters also seems likely to get the heave-ho – the final year of his deal can be scrubbed without penalty, saving the Jets $7.28MM.

Across four seasons, Anderson has averaged 14.8 yards per catch. His best year, statistically, came in 2017 when he posted a 63/941/7 line.