But if he does that he essentially forfeits all leverage.

Right now Zach is sitting on a straight flush and the Jets are holding a pair of tens and bluffing. But the market is set now. The guy before him and the guy after him both got contracts with no offset. And the Jets have no other option at quarterback.

The Jets are cutting off their nose off to spite their face. They have painted themselves into a corner and now it's only a question of who do they want to save face, their franchise quarterback who they want to be a competitor with an indomitable will to win...or the owner that everybody already hates?