Getty NFL linebacker Kwon Alexander making a pose after a game on the football field.
The New York Jets have a brand new sheriff in town at linebacker and his name is Kwon Alexander.
Last week he agreed to terms and officially joined the team on the field this week starting with a padded practice on Monday, August 1.
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Juicy Insight
The Jets initially worked out Alexander before the 2022 NFL draft. Fast forward three months later he agreed to a one-year deal with the green and white.
A common question from fans is what took so long?
Head coach Robert Saleh said one of the reasons is Alexander was evaluating all of his options:
“Yeah we had the visit and obviously he has had a lot of different visits but it was something that he had to make a decision for him and his family and thankfully he decided to come here.”
#Jets HC Robert Saleh confirmed the addition of LB Kwon Alexander (@kwon) & called him a ‘ball of energy’ + he wouldn’t put a label on it saying if he’s strictly depth or a starter, ‘we’ll see where he’s at’: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight #JetsCamp
Alexander spoke to the media for the very first time since signing with the Jets and revealed that he was speaking with two other NFL franchises during that time span.
Ultimately the veteran linebacker picked Gang Green over the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints based on “familiarity with defense and coach Saleh,” per Connor Hughes.
Not only did Alexander choose to play for the Jets, but there was no extra tax to come here versus somewhere else.
Over the last batch of years, the Jets haven’t been a good football team. So to lure a free agent that had multiple offers, typically Gang Green would have to pay an insert amount more than their competition for a player to come.
That wasn’t the case this time around as the Jets locked in Alexander for dirt cheap at just $1.12 million with only a $152,500 signing bonus.
Already Impressing
During the Saleh era, any time a player has either come off of an injury or is brand new to the team, he has forced that individual to undergo a long acclimation period.
It is a rule that can protect the player and make sure everything is right before throwing whoever that is into the fire.
Despite Alexander just joining the team last week he got thrown into practice on Monday, August 1.
When Saleh was asked what happened, he expressed his surprise with how quickly Alexander was ready to jump in:
“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting him to be in the shape that he is. He is ready to roll. He has a great recall of what we did in San Francisco. Obviously, there are some new things that we are doing here but he is a quick learner.”
Last week Saleh was asked what role will Alexander play on this team. Instead of labeling it one way or another, he left the canvas blank suggesting that the talented defender will write his own story.
That looks like it was a good decision because Alexander, at least early on, has come out with his hair on fire, and that is great news for this defense.
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Kwon Alexander Reveals He Chose Jets Over 2 Other NFL Teams