Getty New York Jets linebacker Kwon Alexander breaking up a pass during an NFL game.
The New York Jets could be losing a key cog on the defensive side of the ball.
Adam Schefter of ESPN shared on Monday, May 15 that veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander is making an official visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jets’ free-agent and former Pro Bowl LB Kwon Alexander is visiting the Steelers tonight.
Alexander played on the Jets last season for $1.12 million, per Spotrac.
Jets Could Lose Kwon Alexander in 2023
A few hours after Schefter tweeted that update, Alexander tweeted a pair of eyes emoji for the internet to interpret.
Derrick works for All Steelers of FanNation and he called the Alexander scheduled visit “interesting.”
He bluntly said if Alexander leaves without a deal “it’s probably over” in reference to a contract happening.
Kwon Alexander visiting the Steelers is interesting. Pittsburgh still turning over every stone to get their inside linebacker room overhauled.
Medicals will be key and if those check out, a cheap signing could happen. If he leaves without a contract, it’s probably over…
Daniel Valente who used to cover Pittsburgh for Steelers Depot said the team “need[s] depth at linebacker.”
Josh Carney of Steelers Depot reiterated that point in a column posted on Monday, May 15.
“Inside linebacker is a rather big area of need, at least from a depth perspective, for the Steelers as there’s very little proven depth behind free agent signees Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb.”
Alexander is only 28 years of age but he will turn 29 before the start of the 2023 season.
Jets and Steelers Have the Same Problem
The same criticism by the Steelers analyst could be made about the Jets.
Beyond CJ Mosley and Quincy Williams, New York has zero proven entities at that linebacker position.
Do the Jets need a third linebacker? Sure Alexander could plug right into the lineup and be a key cog, as he was in 2022.
However, an even more important question is what happens if Mosley or Williams goes down with an injury? What is the Jets’ plan for that very realistic scenario?
Last year Gang Green was berated with injuries but most of them came on the offensive side of the ball and more specifically along the offensive line.
Normally injuries are the kind of thing that sort of balances out.
The Jets outside of very rare exceptions were incredibly healthy on the defensive side of the ball last season. If that injury bug bites them at linebacker, the Jets could quickly fall into a very bad situation in 2023.
Alexander appeared in all 17 games last season for the Jets and made 12 starts. The Jets certainly got their bang for their buck last year when you look at the former LSU product’s contract.
He deserves a pay raise after playing in a full season for the first time since 2016.
This visit with the Steelers could prove to be one of two things.
Pittsburgh could ink him to a contract and New York will simultaneously lose him as a starter. Or the pressure of this visit will force the Jets to increase its contract offer to Alexander and that could spur some action between the two camps.
There is a chance that a third option emerges very similarly to what transpired last offseason. For whatever reason Alexander could continue to hang out on the open market until we reach training camp and then he could sign a deal with the team he was most comfortable with.