Editing Curtis Martin (section)

===New York Jets===
After the [[1997 NFL season|1997 season]], Martin became a restricted free agent. On the first day of the free agency period Martin's agent, Eugene Parker, contacted the [[New York Jets]] to gauge their interest in potentially signing the running back.<ref name="Jetting away">{{cite web|title=Curtis Martin changed two franchises |url=https://www.espn.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/8224339/pro-football-hall-fame-curtis-martin-changed-course-two-franchises |publisher=ESPN New York |author=Cimini, Rich |date=August 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804022557/http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/8224339/pro-football-hall-fame-curtis-martin-changed-course-two-franchises |archive-date=August 4, 2012 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Negotiations ensued between Parker and Jets head coach and general manager [[Bill Parcells]] (who had left New England not long before) and an [[offer sheet]] was formulated.<ref name="Jetting away"/> Though Martin had reservations about playing in New York and particularly for a division rival, the presence of his former coach Parcells influenced his decision to ultimately join the Jets.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin never liked football, and he hated New York and the Jets |url=http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2012/07/curtis_martin_never_liked_foot.html |work=The Star-Ledger |author=Vrentas, Jenny |date=July 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727004801/http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2012/07/curtis_martin_never_liked_foot.html |archive-date=July 27, 2012 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> On March 20, 1998, Martin signed a six-year, $36-million poison pill contract.<ref>{{cite news|title=Martin Signs Jet Offer Sheet |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-21-sp-31288-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 21, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306015448/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/21/sports/sp-31288 |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref name="Poison pill">{{cite news|title=New York Jets could insert 'poison pill' into offer sheet to Cowboys WR Miles Austin |url=http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2009/04/will_the_new_york_jets_insert.html |work=The Star-Ledger |author=Hutchinson, Dave |date=April 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411044900/http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2009/04/will_the_new_york_jets_insert.html |archive-date=April 11, 2009 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The "poison pill" was a clause in the contract that stated Martin would become an [[Free agent#Unrestricted free agent|unrestricted free agent]] after one year if the Patriots matched the offer and it would have forced New England to pay a $3.3 million roster bonus that would have compromised their [[Salary cap#Salary cap in the NFL|salary cap]].<ref name="Poison pill"/> Under these conditions, the Patriots did not match the offer; however, they received the Jets' first and third round selections in the [[1998 NFL draft]] as compensation after filing a complaint with the NFL management council, claiming the offer sheet violated the terms of the league's [[collective bargaining agreement]] at the time.<ref name="Jetting away"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Jets-Pats rivalry transcends games |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/334/jets-pats-rivalry-transcends-games |publisher=ESPN |author=Graham, Tim |date=September 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211092803/http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/334/jets-pats-rivalry-transcends-games |archive-date=December 11, 2010 |access-date=July 5, 2010 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

In his first seven seasons with the Jets, Martin missed only one game and was selected to the [[Pro Bowl]] three times. In 1998, Martin gained 182 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns against the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] in a Jets playoff win. In 2004, Martin rushed for a season-high 196 yards against the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] in the team's home opener, and would rush for over 100 yards eight more times that season, finishing with 1,697 yards.<ref name="Rushing title">{{cite web|title=Martin rushes to the top |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/2012/8/1/Curtis-Martin-oldest-player-to-lead-NFL-in-rushing/ |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame |date=August 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012001416/http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/2012/8/1/Curtis-Martin-oldest-player-to-lead-NFL-in-rushing/ |archive-date=October 12, 2012 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Martin won the [[List of NFL rushing champions|NFL rushing title]] by one more yard than runner-up [[Shaun Alexander]] and became the oldest player, at age 31, in league history to win the rushing title.<ref name="Rushing title"/> Martin was named the [[FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week#FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year winners|FedEx Ground Player of the Year]] and named an All-Pro and elected to his fifth and final Pro Bowl.<ref name="PFR"/><ref name="FedEx">{{cite web|title=Brees, McCoy earn top FedEx honors |url=http://www.nfl.com/voting/players-air-and-ground/2011/YEAR/0 |publisher=National Football League |year=2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620111441/http://www.nfl.com/voting/players-air-and-ground/2011/YEAR/0 |archive-date=June 20, 2012 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

With the retirement of [[Emmitt Smith]] after 2004, Martin entered [[2005 NFL season|2005]] as the active leader in career rushing yards. In [[2005 NFL season|2005]], Martin suffered what was deemed as a strained right knee injury in the Jets' second game of the season against the [[Miami Dolphins]], when he was tackled by linebacker [[Zach Thomas]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Jets' Martin to have MRI on strained right knee|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2166224|publisher=ESPN|agency=Associated Press|date=September 19, 2005|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103033622/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2166224|archive-date=January 3, 2013|access-date=August 4, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> An MRI of the knee was negative and Martin continued to play through the season despite a noticeable drop-off in production, having only rushed for 100 or more yards once the entire season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Martin's MRI a break for Jets|url=https://insider.espn.com/nfl/blog?name=clayton_john&id=2167551|publisher=ESPN|author=Clayton, John|date=September 20, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011253/http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/blog?name=clayton_john&id=2167551|archive-date=March 5, 2016|access-date=August 4, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Curtis Martin Career Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MartCu00/gamelog/ |publisher=Pro Football Reference |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728212721/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MartCu00/gamelog// |archive-date=July 28, 2012 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> On November 27, 2005, Martin joined [[Barry Sanders]], [[Walter Payton]] and [[Emmitt Smith]] as the only running backs to rush for 14,000 yards in their career.<ref>{{cite web|title=Smith, Payton, Sanders other players to reach mark|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2238808|publisher=ESPN|agency=Associated Press|date=November 28, 2005|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103095259/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2238808|archive-date=January 3, 2013|access-date=August 4, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> By December, the severity of the knee injury began to increase and Martin, despite wanting to become the second player (after Smith) to rush for 1,000 yards in 11 straight seasons, elected to have season-ending surgery, finishing with 735 yards on the season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jets' Martin to have season-ending knee surgery |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2255778 |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=December 11, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060527022325/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2255778 |archive-date=May 27, 2006 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>
Martin began [[2006 NFL season|2006]] on the [[Physically Unable to Perform|Physically Unable to Perform list]] as the post-operation recovery period took longer than expected though the surgery was considered minimally invasive.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jets place Martin, McCareins, Teague on PUP list |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2531756 |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=July 27, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728092248/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2531756 |archive-date=July 28, 2013 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref> By November 2006, despite months of rehabilitation, Martin was declared out for the season with a bone-on-bone condition in his right knee.<ref>{{cite web|title=Martin out for 2006, unsure he'll ever play again|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2645525|publisher=ESPN|agency=Associated Press|date=November 2, 2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103175154/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2645525|archive-date=January 3, 2013|access-date=August 4, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> After re-negotiating his contract to help provide more salary cap room for the Jets, Martin announced his retirement in July 2007 thus ending his career having amassed 14,101 total rushing yards, the fifth highest total in NFL history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jets running back Martin to announce retirement this week |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2947121 |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=July 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111091948/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2947121 |archive-date=November 11, 2012 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>