There will be a lot of familiar faces missing when the New York Jets open their 2025 season in September.
After a dreadful 5-12 campaign in a 2024 season that began with playoff hopes, the Jets cleaned house. They'll have a new quarterback, a new head coach, a new general manager, and several new captains in 2025.
One of the missing captains will be C.J. Mosley, a former five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who spent the last six years in New York. Mosley, who missed 13 games last season with neck and toe injuries, was released by the Jets last week.
Mosley, 32, could still bounce back to being a productive veteran if the neck injury doesn't linger. The Jets clearly wanted to get younger while saving some money, but any contender could now take a chance on the 10-year veteran if they think he has something left in the tank.
On Saturday, Cory Woodroof of USA Today predicted that Mosley would sign with the Los Angeles Rams, joining another recently- eleased Jets veteran, six-time Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams, out in Hollywood.
"Mosley is the kind of veteran leader in the middle of the defense who could help a Rams team trying to contend for a championship," Woodroof wrote. "He could immediately slot in next to Omar Speights at linebacker."
From 2021 to 2023, Mosley averaged 159 tackles per 17 games while totaling 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions. That's a well above-average starter, and the Rams won't need him to be as productive to still have an impact.
The Jets will certainly wish Mosley well, but it wouldn't be a great overall look if he bounces back wearing a Rams uniform. But the Jets had to make a decision based on what was best for them, and keeping Mosley around wasn't going to be the single move that got them back to the playoffs.
