FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets traded defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos on Saturday for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Franklin-Myers, whose base salary this season was $13.3 million, was due to count about $16.4 million on the Jets' salary cap. Instead, New York cleared $7.3 million in cap space by dealing him to Denver in the middle of the final day of this year's draft.
“It’s an unfortunate part of the business not being able to keep him,” general manager Joe Douglas said. But, got a hell of a player. I’ll say that."
Franklin-Myers became expendable on the Jets’ defensive line — generally considered the team’s best position group — after New York acquired edge rusher Haason Reddick from Philadelphia on April 1. The Jets also have Quinnen Williams, Javon Kinlaw, Leki Fotu, Solomon Thomas, Micheal Clemons and Will McDonald on a loaded D-line.
“That was a difficult one because when we made the trade for Hasson, we knew it was going to be next to impossible to keep JFM at his salary,” Douglas said.
Franklin-Myers, who had 3 1/2 sacks last season and 17 1/2 in four seasons with the Jets.
It's the second trade between the teams this week after New York sent quarterback Zach Wilson and a seventh-round pick in this week's NFL draft to Denver for a sixth-rounder on Monday.
Franklin-Myers appeared to know his days with the Jets were numbered when he posted a cryptic message on the social media platform X on Friday.
“Life’s a trampoline,” he posted. “I’m gone bounce back regardless.”
Franklin-Myers was likely going to see reduced playing time and was due to make about $29 million over the final two years of the four-year, $55 million extension he signed in 2021. ESPN reported the defensive lineman agreed to a new two-year, $15 million deal with the Broncos.
“We opened it up to let them explore an opportunity elsewhere, a trade elsewhere and that was a few weeks ago, obviously, after we traded for for Hassan," Douglas said. “And we got the deal worked out with Denver today after a lot of talks.”
In Denver, Franklin-Myers would figure to have a chance to start at defensive end opposite Zach Allen.
Franklin-Myers was a fourth-round pick of the Rams out of Stephen F. Austin in 2018 and had two sacks as a rookie, along with a sack and forced fumble against New England in the Super Bowl. The Jets claimed Franklin-Myers off waivers before the 2019 season and he developed into a productive pass rusher for New York.
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FILE- New York Jets defensive end John Franklin-Myers (91) reacts after sacking Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. The New York Jets traded defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos on Saturday for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press, Saturday, APril 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
HONG KONG (AP) — A top public relations executive from Chinese technology firm Baidu apologized Thursday after she made comments in a series of videos that critics said glorified a culture of overwork.
Baidu's head of communications Qu Jing sparked a public outcry in China after she implied in the videos that she was not concerned about her employees as she was “not their mom” and said she only cared about results. She also said that the relationship between her and her subordinates was purely an “employer-employee relationship.”
The backlash was swift, with many on social media platforms like Weibo criticizing Qu for her lack of empathy.
Qu posted an apology Thursday on her private WeChat account, where she “sincerely apologized to all netizens” and clarified that she had not sought Baidu’s permission before posting the videos.
Qu said that her short videos did not represent Baidu’s stance. Baidu operates China’s dominant search engine as well as Ernie Bot, an artificial intelligence service similar to ChatGPT.
“Many of the criticisms are very pertinent, I am reflecting deeply and humbly accept them,” she said. “There are many inappropriate (things said) in the video that caused external misunderstandings about the company’s values and corporate culture, causing serious harm. I sincerely apologize."
Qu also pledged to improve her communication and management style and care more for her colleagues.
Baidu did not immediately comment.
Chinese online media outlet 36Kr reported Thursday that Qu had left her position at Baidu. The Associated Press was not able to independently verify Qu’s departure.
The videos, which have since be taken down, came at a time when many young people in China are pushing back against a culture of competition and gruelling hours in the workplace.
Qu received criticism for a range of subjects she mentioned in the series of short videos on Douyin.
In the series, she brought up an incident of certain employees who sent hundreds of complaint letters against her to the office, and threatened to ruin their careers by ensuring that they could never again find a job in the industry.
In one of the videos, she criticized an employee who refused to go on a 50-day business trip during the COVID-19 pandemic. China had implemented strict travel restrictions that at times included weeks of quarantine for travel even within the country.
“Why should I take into consideration my employee’s family? I’m not her mother-in law,” Qu said, adding that if employees refused to go on such business trips then they would not get salary raises or job promotions.
Chinese technology firms have long been criticized for their long working hours.
A public debate was sparked in recent years over the “996” work culture, where employees in technology firms were expected to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. The issue was also spotlighted after the deaths of two employees of Chinese e-commerce firm Pinduoduo, one of whom collapsed suddenly on the street on her way home from work.
Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, also faced criticism in 2019 for endorsing the 12-hour workday culture, saying that those who enjoyed their work would not find the “996” practice to be a problem.
FILE - An attendee walks past a display at the Baidu World conference in Beijing, on Nov. 1, 2018. A top public relations executive from Chinese technology firm Baidu apologized Thursday, May 9, 2024, after she made comments in a series of videos that critics said glorified a culture of overwork. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
