ClutchPoints
The New York Jets endured yet another miserable season in 2024, finishing 5-12 and missing the playoffs for the 14th straight year. While the postseason drought is painful, perhaps even more upsetting to the fanbase – or just bewildering – is the fact that the team actually got worse in its first (and only) season with Aaron Rodgers under center. The Zach Wilson-led Jets of 2022 and 2023 managed to go 7-10.
The Jets have already announced their intention to move on from Rodgers. While the merits of that decision are debatable considering the team’s current quarterback situation (journeyman backup Tyrod Taylor and fifth-round pick Jordan Travis) and the dearth of passers available in free agency and in the draft, there was never any doubt that new head coach Aaron Glenn was going to make parting with A-Rod his first order of business.
With Rodgers out, the Jets can either designate him a post-June 1 cut, which would clear up $9.5 million in cap space and spread his dead money hit over two seasons ($14 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026), or they can release him before June 1 and just rip the bandaid off, eating his entire $49 million dead cap hit in 2025. While it’s tempting to get Rodgers off the books in a single year (what’s another lost season to Jets fans at this point?), it would significantly limit the team’s ability to sign/re-sign free agents.
Davante Adams is also an obvious cut. The veteran wideout became disgruntled playing with subpar quarterbacks in Las Vegas and agitated for a trade to the Jets so he could team up with his old buddy Rodgers. But with the future Hall of Fame quarterback moving on, Adams will leave town too. Trading or cutting the All-Pro receiver will save New York nearly $30 million in cap space.
Wideout Allen Lazard (potentially $11 million in cap savings) and kicker Greg Zuerlein ($2.4 million) are almost certainly gone as well and defensive end Michael Clemons ($3.3 million in savings) will likely join them.
The Jets have reached a point where so many of their players should be cut it might be more interesting to discuss who should stick around. But that’s not the exercise here. We’re supposed to provide one “surprise” roster cut for the team. So that’s what we’ll do. And while there aren’t really any surprise cuts for New York, the player who best fits this description is C.J. Mosley.
No Jets fans in their right mind would have even entertained the idea of parting with Mosley as recently as last October. And yet, here we are.
When Mosley arrived in New York in 2019, after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, he was already a four-time Pro Bowler. He was one of the best middle linebackers in football and his presence alone gave the Jets credibility.
Mosley endured...
