Ex-Jets TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jags agree on 2-year, $10M contract

Former New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins will sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Seferian-Jenkins, 25, will receive a two-year deal worth $10 million, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network.

Gratitude. The only word I can describe my experience of being a New York Jet. Gratitude to Mr. Johnson for allowing me to be part of his organization. Gratitude to Coach Johnson and Coach Morton for believing me in and pushing me to be a better man and Tight End every single day. Gratitude for Coach Bowles and Mr. Maccagnan for understanding that we are human and despite our mistakes, there are things in life called second chances. And that's exactly what they gave me. Gratitude for Brian Heimerdinger for instilling in me that my story was a fresh start at the Jets and that I was able to rewrite my wrongs. Gratitude to @bmarshall for becoming a brother, a friend, and most importantly a mentor to support me through the tough times. Gratitude for my brothers.. my teammates who kept me pushing when I needed it the most. Gratitude for the front office staff who accepted me into the organization with a fresh start. And most importantly, gratitude for some of the most amazing fans in league! The loyal ones. The ones who have allowed me to share my story but more importantly been along for the journey. I will truly miss the city of New York and all that it represents to me. I have so much love for this city and it holds such a special place to me. It's surely not a goodbye but a see you later New York. Wishing the entire organization nothing but the best, but it's time for the next chapter of my journey. Jacksonville, I'm ready for you. Ready to represent the black, teal, white, and gold. Duval County, I'm ready to see what the #DTWD is all about! . #gratitude #thankful #nextstep #newjourney #Jaguars #DuvalCity

A post shared by Austin Seferian-Jenkins (@i.am.asj) on Mar 15, 2018 at 1:31pm PDT

The former University of Washington star visited with the Seahawks on Wednesday but left Seattle without a deal.

The Jaguars didn't get much production out of their tight ends last season. Jacksonville tight ends combined to catch a league-low 43 passes and the position was targeted the third-fewest times in the league (79). Marcedes Lewis led the Jaguars with five touchdown catches, but three of those came in a 44-7 rout of Baltimore in Week 3.

Finding a pass-catching tight end was one of the team's offseason priorities and they signed Niles Paul to a two-year contract on Thursday. Seferian-Jenkins is coming off the best season of his career (50 catches, 357 yards, three TDs) and should immediately become the team's top tight end in the passing game.

Seferian-Jenkins resurrected his career with the Jets after being cut by the Buccaneers following a September 2016 arrest for drunken driving. The incident produced an embarrassing dashcam video in which he made crude remarks while sitting in the backseat of a police cruiser.

Ultimately, he was suspended by the NFL for the first two games of 2017 season.

The Jets took a chance, claiming Seferian-Jenkins on waivers. After a nondescript 2016, he acknowledged a drinking problem and lost 30 pounds during the offseason. In a May 2017 interview with ESPN, he went public with his battle, revealing he had spent time in rehab.

Seferian-Jenkins carried the momentum into the season and was one of the bright spots for the Jets. Oddly, the 6-foot-6 tight end wasn't effective in the red zone, managing only four catches (three for touchdowns). He faded over the final five games (only 11 catches), probably hurting his value as a free agent.

ESPN's Rich Cimini and Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.