One of the biggest storylines that no one is talking about is the return of New York Jets pass rusher Carl Lawson.
He was the talk of the town in camp last year and was expected to have a career year. Sadly a ruptured Achilles during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers ended his season in August before it truly ever began.
Now Lawson is ready for a return and a recent viral workout video should instill fear in opponents across the NFL landscape.
ALL the latest Jets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Jets newsletter here!
Oh Yes!
On Sunday, July 17, Optimistic Jets shared a short 19-second clip of Lawson exploding off of the line of scrimmage for a pass rush rep.
In the video, Lawson pops up from a four-point stance with his hands in the dirt and runs through the poor unfortunate soul lined up across from him.
Carl Lawson is looking SCARY 😳🔥
The video is going viral on social media with Jets fans bubbling with excitement to see Lawson back on the football field.
The former Auburn product was the prized gem of the 2021 free agency period for the Jets. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to see the fruits of their labor because of a disappointing injury.
From all accounts, Lawson looks fully recovered and that’s great news for the Jets, but not as good news for the other 31 NFL teams.
In his four professional seasons, Lawson has failed to record a double-digit sack season. Despite that, he has excelled in several advanced metrics like pressures and quarterback hits which indicates a ton of untapped potential:
- 83 quarterback hits
- 19 tackles for loss
- 20 sacks
A Golden Timeline
If somehow that video isn’t enough of a confirmation, Lawson is expected to be ready for the first day of training camp.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Jets slow-played this and brought Lawson along gradually throughout the process to get him ready for the regular season.
I had an exclusive conversation with Lawson’s trainer, Dr. Sharif Tabbah or more commonly known as Dr. Reef.
In our chat, we discussed what kinds of activities and rehab has Lawson done this offseason to get even bigger, stronger, and faster than he was before the injury.
“Yeah, Carl is definitely a freak of nature and is an absolute monster. He has even been quoted himself as being called a monster so he knows already. Lawson is a big strong guy and his work ethic is unparalleled. He is the first one in the door and the last one out of it. We often teased him like dude go home you have been here for seven hours. He comes in does his own intense workout and then he comes in with us to do rehab, just an animal. It is so much fun to work with him.”
When asked about looking ahead to 2022, Dr. Reef couldn’t hold back his excitement:
“This guy is hungry, ready, and looks great coming back possibly stronger than ever. He is one of the most locked-in athletes that I have seen all offseason. I know he is going to come back with a vengeance this year.”
If the Jets can get half the player he appeared to be last offseason, they could finally solve their pass-rushing woes this season.
Follow @BoyGreen25 & @obermuller_nyj on Twitter for all the latest New York Jets breaking news, rumors, fresh takes, and more!
READ NEXT: Trade Proposal Lands Jets $18 Million LB, Former Top-10 Pick
Comments
‘Scary’ Workout Video of Jets Veteran Showing Explosion Goes Viral