Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison is eligible to hit free agency in a few weeks but if he has his druthers, he won’t be going anywhere. On Tuesday, Harrison told Sirius XM NFL Radio (audio link) that he wants to stay with the Jets. And while no deal is done yet, Harrison says that the two sides are getting closer to an agreement. 
“I think we are headed in the right direction with a deal getting done, but I understand that the NFL is a business,” Harrison said.
For the last few years, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have been very high on Harrison’s work. In 2015, Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d) gave Harrison a 91.9 overall grade, placing him as the 7th best interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Harrison played in only half of Gang Green’s snaps, but he is incredibly vital to the Jets’ 3-4 front and could get big bucks from another club looking for a tough, physical nose tackle. As a result, the Jets’ best chance to retain Harrison might be to work out a long-term deal prior to the start of free agency.
Harrison, 27, has started in all 16 regular season games in each of the last three seasons. Last year, Harrison recorded a career-high 72 tackles and also notched a forced fumble.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.