New York Jets fan favorite Kwon Alexander is joining the AFC North
For months, New York Jets fans held out hope that the team would re-sign free agent linebacker Kwon Alexander, who established himself as a fan favorite in his lone season with the team. Unfortunately, that will not come to fruition.
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Alexander has agreed to a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers pending a physical.
The Steelers have agreed to a deal with LB Kwon Alexander pending physical, per source.
That's a key depth piece for a team that added Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts in a free agency overhaul of the ILB position.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) July 29, 2023
Alexander visited with the Steelers all the way back in mid-May but left without signing a contract. It was his only reported visit throughout the offseason.
The 28-year-old (who will turn 29 next week) became an unrestricted free agent in March after a successful year with the Jets. Serving as the Jets’ third linebacker behind C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams, Alexander appeared in all 17 games and played 49% of the Jets’ defensive snaps, recording 69 tackles with a limited snap count.
Despite his successful season, Alexander could not fetch a deal in the initial wave of free agency, so he decided to wait things out in search of the right opportunity. New York never ruled out the possibility of bringing him back when the topic came up in press conferences, but nothing materialized.
With Alexander gone, Jamien Sherwood is positioned to take his place. A fifth-round pick out of Auburn in 2021, Sherwood has spent two years developing under the tutelage of Mosley, Robert Saleh, and Jeff Ulbrich. The Jets frequently laud Sherwood’s intangibles and believe he is ready to step up in his third season.
Sherwood played in all 17 games for the Jets last season, mostly appearing on special teams. He only played 25 defensive snaps but managed to collect 10 tackles in that small sample size.
