LONG-TERMVISION Rough season hasn’t soured Anderson on his Jets future
Robby Anderson isn’t expected to cash in after a third season that hasn’t exactly gone to plan. The Jets took a wait-and-see approach in the wake of off-field transgressions dating back to last year, but the explosive wide receiver could have made a fair case for a worthwhile multiyear extension if he ripped it up on the field this season.
Poised for a breakout in 2018, Anderson hasn’t been the difference maker that many believed he would be for myriad reasons.
“I think we all know what I’m capable of doing,” Anderson told the Daily News in a wide-ranging discussion about his present and future. “I think that’s obvious.”
His statistical step back (23 catches, 368 yards, three touchdowns) will likely prompt the team to offer him a second-round restricted freeagent tender for about $3.1 million after the season rather than make a multi-year investment.
“I would hope not to be tendered,” said Anderson, who is making $633,000 in the final year of his three-year, $1.63 million contract. “Because I don’t want to be here for possibly just one more year. I want to be here for the long term. I feel like I worked hard. (The RFA tender) is a step up from where I’m at now. But I want to be here for the long term.”
Anderson, a field-stretching game-changer last season, garnered interest around the league before the trade deadline earlier this month. The Jets turned down the Eagles’ offer of a fourth-round pick, according to people familiar with the situation.
“To be honest, I think it shows that teams throughout the league see my talent and see what I bring to the table and see what I’m capable of,” Anderson said of interest from other teams. “But I want to be a Jet. Clearly, they feel the same way, because they didn’t get rid of me. So, I want to be here for the long run. And I want to be the best I can be. I want to feel appreciated and just be understood. I just want to be a great football player.”
“I want to be one of the best to ever do it,” Anderson continued. “That’s my goal and my mission. And I know that’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to happen in a year. It’s going to take time. I know it’s a journey. And I know it’s in God’s hands more than anything. So, I just try to keep a positive mindset and keep working.”
It’s been tough sledding for Anderson, who has topped 100 yards in a game just once this season, Week 5 vs. the Broncos (3 catches, 123 yards). He’s on pace for 33 receptions, 535 yards and only four touchdowns after his 941-yard, seven-touchdown second season that had folks on One Jets Drive believing that the former undrafted player would make a significant leap in 2018.
“I’m always putting pressure on Robby about doing more,” wide receivers coach Karl Dorrell said. “I know he wants to do more. Sometimes it doesn’t fall into place where it’s noticeable from a lot of people’s viewpoints. But he’s working his butt off trying to do the things we’re asking him to do.”
Anderson hasn’t had more than four receptions in a game this season. A year after leading the team in targets, yards, touchdowns and yards per catch, Anderson has been an afterthought in most of the nine games he’s played this season. His targets have dipped from 7.13 to 5.2 per game.
“I feel like with what’s been going on, I didn’t even deal with this my rookie year,” said Anderson, who had 587 yards in his first season. “It’s kind of confusing at times. I just got to look at myself in the mirror and work that much harder and stay positive. I can control what I can control, and when those opportunities do come, try my best to make the most of them. But I definitely want the ball, because I know what I’m capable of. And I know the difference I make for our team and for the offense. It’s frustrating but it is what it is.”
“I can’t let the circumstances knock my hustle or I can’t let it knock me down or make me feel defeated,” Anderson added. “I just got to keep working hard and keep preparing the same way I would regardless. Because whether things are going in your favor or not, you still got to have that same mindset. So that’s the same mindset I keep: to keep pushing for more. Obviously with the circumstances I’m in right now, there’s a lot more I’m pushing for.”
It’s not entirely surprising that Anderson and the rest of the receivers haven’t been statistical wonders. Wideouts typically are impacted most by a rookie quarterback’s growing pains. It was easy to forecast Sam Darnold’s roller-coaster first season, so it shouldn’t be a shock that his pass catchers have had statistical dips. Jermaine Kearse, who’s scheduled to be a free agent after this
season, has experienced similar decline in production.
The 25-year-old Anderson has seemingly been impacted the most by working with a rookie quarterback. His greatest asset is threatening defenses down the field. He averaged an NFL-high 37 yards per target on his seven touchdowns last season. Jets quarterbacks had a 107.6 passer rating on Go routes.
It's been an entirely different story this season. Gang Green hasn't been able to capitalize on Anderson's speed.
Consider this: The Jets are dead last in the NFL with a 36.5 passer rating on balls thrown 20 or more yards in the air.
In other words, they are weakest in an area that Andermittedly son can help the most. He adused the past few weeks when he missed two games with an ankle injury to reset his mind. He took personal inventory of the situation and recalibrated for the final stretch of the season.
“In my mind, I'm hoping to have a great season,” Anderson said. “That's how I envisioned things. I have this big vision and team goals and personal goals and all these things I'm expecting to happen each week… and it wasn't going like that. So, I was starting to get a little frustrated. And then dealing with the injury gave me a chance to step back, clear my mind a little bit, relax…
“When there's your chance to make a play, sometimes you're not at your best because you have frustration in your mind,” Anderson continued. “Just like in general in life. If you're working and you're pissed off about something, you can't do your best because you got a bug in your mind…. I just had to take a deep breath and understand that I'm doing the best that I can… But I have to do that much more and work that much harder. Just stay positive. I'm still living my dream.”
Anderson has taken a mature approach during this rough patch. He's been honest and fair with himself and his teammates. This season hasn't unfolded like anyone hoped, but it's far from over for him.
The future remains bright.