Getty New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley makes a play on the football during the 2021 season.
The New York Jets are coming off several rough campaigns and hope to shift the tides in 2022. To do so, they’ll need a delicate balance of experience and youth to lead the way.
Despite his pricey contract, one integral piece tends to fly under the radar because of his demeanor and all-business personality. That, of course, is defensive captain and 2021 team MVP, C.J. Mosley.
Should the Jets make an unexpected run this season, they’ll need Mosley to hold this defense together. On August 19, an NFL coach and insider joined forces to explain why they expect him to do just that in 2022.
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Mosley’s Still ‘a Damn Good Linebacker’
Heavy’s very own NFL insider Matt Lombardo “surveyed a dozen current NFL players, coaches, scouts, and executives” to find the league’s most important “secret stars.”
If you’re wondering what that term entails, Lombardo described it as a key piece “who won’t garner the recognition that their play and value to their team deserves.” He added that these contributors are often “overshadowed by the other superstars on their own team, or are buried on rosters of abysmal teams that don’t receive national notoriety.”
For Mosley, his mention would probably relate more with the latter.
He began by quoting an unnamed AFC quarterbacks coach, who voiced: “C.J. Mosley is a guy who’s gotten hurt, so he isn’t on a lot of people’s radar, but there’s no denying that he is a damn good linebacker.”
Lombardo then spoke on the nomination himself:
Mosley is a magnet for the football, and when healthy, one of the heart and soul players in the Jets’ front-seven.
In 2021, Mosley produced 167 total tackles, including 130 solo, along with 2.0 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. A four-time Pro Bowler, Mosley has exceeded 100 total tackles in five of the past seven seasons, and five of his last fully-healthy campaigns.
If the Jets’ defense is to make major strides in 2022, Mosley figures to play a vital role.
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Mosley’s Swan Song in New York?
Based on the aforementioned contract — and the fact that current general manager Joe Douglas did not sign off on it — this could be Mosley’s final season in New York.
If the Jets release the linebacker next year they save $15.5 million and only forfeit $3 million, so this decision would be more financial than performance-based. Mosley may no longer be the straw that stirs the drink but there’s no questioning that he’s “a damn good linebacker,” as Lombardo’s source stated accurately.
With better pieces around him in 2022 — like Kwon Alexander, Jordan Whitehead and the new cornerback combination of D.J. Reed Jr. and Sauce Gardner — fans will probably notice that even more considering he was forced to shoulder the load for several youngsters a season ago.
At the very least, Mosley can use his intelligence and awareness to be the quarterback that this defense sorely needs. If the potential swan song goes well, who knows, maybe head coach Robert Saleh advocates for a contract restructuring instead of a cap casualty.
Mosley would have to agree, but if he truly feels like the Jets are building toward something in 2023 and beyond, he might. Guaranteed money and years — while shedding that $18.5 million cap number — could do the trick, and would allow the trusty linebacker to close out his career as a veteran influence for Gang Green.
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NFL Insider Raves About Jets’ Secret Star: ‘Magnet for the Football’