The New York Jets have a Jamien Sherwood problem.
Analyst Omari Brown of Jets X-Factor told me on “Boy Green Daily” that Sherwood is borderline “unplayable” given how he has performed this season.
“This is a big yikes stat: Jamien Sherwood allowed 9 catches on 10 targets for 127 yards against the Lions,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic posted on X.
The Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions wasn’t the only game that Sherwood has struggled in this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Sherwood has been struggling throughout this early campaign.
Through the first month of the season, Sherwood has a 39.4 overall grade, a 46.9 run defense grade, a 49.0 pass rush grade, and a 46.9 coverage grade, per PFF. Those grades rank 66th, 65th, 68th, and 53rd among 71 qualifying linebackers in the NFL.
Jets Are Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
What the heck do you do?
Sherwood is clearly struggling, but the Jets lack replacement options. On Friday, October 2, the Jets ruled out linebacker “Kiko” Mauigoa. Earlier this season, Marcelino McCrary-Ball was placed on IR, so he isn’t available either.
That leaves Demario Davis and Sherwood as the two main straws that stir the drink at linebacker.
Analyst Omari Brown of Jets X-Factor floated out one possibility for the Jets to consider.
“I’ve been asked a few times about how I think the Jets can help Jamien Sherwood. My answer is to simply play him less. It wouldn’t shock me if Glenn went with more three safety looks this week against the Bears with Minkah returning. I get that it might hinder them when Chicago goes Heavy which is over 50%. Belton playing more LB with Minkah in the overhang could be a creative way to hunt for some turnovers. As the season goes on I think an almost positionless approach to defense of getting your best 11 on the field however that looks will trump whatever idea you had coming into the year. My favorite look on the back end is Ponds/AZ – Boundary Minkah/Belton/Brownlee – Nickel/Box,” Brown explained.
Jets Will Have to Eat It for Now
When the green and white re-signed Jamien Sherwood to a three-year, $45 million contract, they were universally praised. Fast forward a year and a half, and they’re now being universally mocked. Life comes at you fast.
If the Jets decided to move on from Sherwood now, they would eat $25 million in dead cap, per Spotrac. However, if they wait until next offseason the Jets would only have to eat $13.5 million in dead cap charge. Not great, but certainly more manageable.
It seems like we are heading in that direction, but head coach Aaron Glenn strongly defended his linebacker at the podium.
“Very confident in him and listen, you would have an issue covering (Jahmyr) Gibbs too (laughter). But I have all the confidence in the world in Sherwood, and I would say that I totally disagree with that statement because I don’t think everything you probably saw was all on him. I think it was more of a team concept when it comes to defense. But yeah, I have all the confidence in the world in Sherwood. I mean he’s been doing a good job for us, and listen, guys are going to make mistakes, guys are going to get beat. That’s the physical part of the game, but the thing is how do you respond to that, and I know for a fact that he’s going to respond well,” Glenn explained on Friday, October 2.
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