Why did Keyshawn Johnson leave the Jets?

Keyshawn Johnson is a former professional football player from the United States who played wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons.

Johnson was selected first overall by the New York Jets in the 1996 NFL Draft. He was the third wide receiver chosen with the first overall pick since the New England Patriots selected Irving Fryar in 1984.

While in New York, he played three seasons (1997-1999) for Bill Parcells, who took the Jets from 1-15 in 1996, Johnson’s rookie year, to 9-7 in 1997 and 12-4 in 1998, and the franchise’s first ever AFC East Division title, in two seasons.

Why did Keyshawn Johnson leave the Jets?

Johnson was traded on April 12, 2000 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two first round draft choices by the Jets.

The Jets’ reasoning for trading Johnson was to avoid having to dismantle their team due to the financial constraints Johnson’s demands would impose. However, the four first-round picks are expected to cost them a total of $14 million in signing bonuses.

Soon after Johnson arrived in Tampa, the Buccaneers signed him to an eight-year, $56 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.