His promising career slowed down by injuries, Lorenzo Mauldin appears to believe his days as a New York Jets are numbered.
NFL preseason cuts are still a couple of weeks away, but New York Jets linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin appears to know where he stands in terms of a roster spot.
The third-round pick from 2015 sent a pair of tweets, one of which was deleted, hinting that he will be among those not making the 53-man roster for the Jets’ Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions. Mauldin deleted his first, more direct, tweet about the situation, though it was captured in a screenshot by ESNY’s Paul Edsen.
Lorenzo Mauldin gives cryptic tweet on his future w/ the #Jets. Really sad, what a great story that I wanted to see be successful, hopefully he's able to land on his feet somewhere. Showed potential early on. pic.twitter.com/7eBBQqf00S
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) August 20, 2018
The deleted tweet reads “Praying for better days. I’m ready for what’s going to happen so it’s not a surprise”. The tweet is followed by an emoji of a man shrugging and the hashtag “#CaptainObviousToldMe”.
22 minutes after the first post, Mauldin posted another tweet, showcasing his faith.
You know what? Prayer is the best option for everyone. Not worried about anything god got me.
— Lorenzo “Lozo” Mauldin IV (@LozoIV) August 20, 2018
Mauldin, 25, is seeking to get his career back on track after a tumultuous 2017. Charged with misdemeanor assault after a June altercation at a Manhattan nightclub, Mauldin was placed on injured reserve prior to the start of the regular season, having worked through a back injury all training camp. The assault charge was later dropped in November and Mauldin was cleared of all wrongdoing.
Chosen 82nd overall in 2015’s draft, Mauldin has seen his promising professional career derailed by injuries from the start. In his first career game, a 31-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns, Mauldin forced a Johnny Manziel fumble, but suffered a neck injury on the play that briefly knocked him unconscious. In 26 career games, Mauldin has tallied 33 tackles, including 6.5 sacks, as well as one interception. Prior to his New York arrival, Mauldin overcame a tough childhood, which saw both of his parents imprisoned.
He went on to become a star defender at the University of Louisville, earning second-team All-ACC honors at the end of the 2014 season.
Still hampered by the hamstring injury, Mauldin, entering the final year of his rookie contract, has yet to appear in a preseason game for the Jets this summer. The Jets return to action on Friday night, taking on the New York Giants (7:30 p.m. ET, WCBS).
