The New York Jets lose another key piece to their defense with star linebacker C.J. Mosley option-out of the 2020 season.
The New York Jets will be without C.J. Mosley for a second straight season. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, the star linebacker has opted-out of a potential 2020 season due to concern over his family’s health.
BREAKING: Jets LB CJ Mosley has decided to opt out for 2020 due to family health concerns, sources tell ESPN. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 1, 2020
Mosley signed a record-setting contract in the 2019 offseason, and after two years, he won’t have played a single full game for the Jets. A groin injury cost him the majority of his 2019 season, and now he’s decided to put his and his family’s health first.
Mosley isn’t the first New York Jet to opt-out for 2020 and he may not be the last. However, he is the biggest. After trading Jamal Adams the Jets were depending on Mosley being the leader of their defense, that won’t be the case. The Jets have decent depth at linebacker, but losing Mosley is huge for the team as a whole.
By opting-out of the 2020 season, Mosley’s contract will toll. Basically, Mosley will be paid $150,000 for the year, but otherwise his contract freezes. The Jets don’t lose a year of control. The only effect this decision will have on Mosley’s contract is that he’ll lose $150,000 of his salary in 2021.
This does play a huge role in the Jets cap space for 2020. With Mosley opting out, the Jets add an extra $15.5 million in cap space for the 2020 season. That’s more than enough to add another piece to the defense if the Jets wanted too. If not, that extra cap space would carry over to 2021.
If the Jets were inclined to try and replace Mosley one player comes to mind, Jadeveon Clowney. They may play different positions, but Clowney can mimic the effect that Mosley would have had on the run game.
The Jets haven’t had much interest in bringing in Clowney all offseason, but with Mosley gone and extra cap space, it could make sense.
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