Things can get fairly heated during the NFL’s legal tampering period.
According to 9News Insider Mike Klis, after the Denver Broncos and free agent safety Talanoa Hufanga agreed on a three-year deal worth $39 million, the New York Jets arrived “after the bell.”
“The New York Jets swooped in with an after-the-bell pitch to Hufanga, offering a sweetened deal. In his first free agency while sitting in the big chair, newly recruited Jets general manager Darren Mougey demonstrated the competitive attitude acquired over his 13 seasons working his way up the Broncos’ personnel ladder. “Mougey was the Broncos’ deputy general manager for the previous two years before the Jets signed him as their GM in January,” Klis added. “Alas for Mougey, but good for his former boss, Broncos general manager George Paton, Hufanga rebuffed the Jets’ overtures and remained committed to the Broncos.”
revealing the highly competitive nature of this negotiation window.
“Remember, agreed-upon deals between players and their new teams on Monday, March 10 cannot be finalized until Wednesday afternoon, March 12,” Klis said.
In other words, nothing the Jets did was illegal. It happens all the time in the National Football League.
The Jets were recently on the opposite side of the coin.
During the 2022 offseason, the Jets signed veteran tight end C.J. Uzomah to a three-year contract worth $24 million.
According to NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo, Uzomah’s former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, attempted to persuade him to back out of his commitment to the Jets to return.
Uzomah, like Hufanga, upheld his original commitment and turned down offers from other teams.
