New York Jets have made their first official move of the 2024 offseason
With free agency looming, the New York Jets made a move to keep one of their own from hitting the market. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Chuck Clark will return for another season.
Jets are brining back safety Chuck Clark — who missed the 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL during OTAs — on a one-year deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2024
One of the first moves the Jets pulled off last season was the acquisition of Clark, acquiring him from Baltimore for a seventh-round pick. The former Ravens safety was set to be the team’s starting free safety and one of their defensive leaders before Clark tore his ACL at OTAs.
Clark’s return fills a major need for the Jets, as he was one of three safeties who was set to hit the free agent market, along with Ashtyn Davis and Jordan Whitehead. In fact, Tony Adams was the only safety under contract before the deal with Clark got done.
With Clark returning, the expectation will likely be that he’ll step into Jordan Whitehead’s role. It’s a much nicer fit than last offseason, when he was expected to be a high safety in the role that Tony Adams eventually earned.
The big question with Clark at this point is how much of his athleticism is still left after the torn ACL. Clark wasn’t a great athlete to begin with. But he made his mark with great fundamentals and a high football IQ.
The Jets will love to add Clark’s tackling to the mix. He missed just 6.6% of tackles in 2022, whereas Whitehead missed 18% last year and 15.6% the year before. Whitehead’s poor tackling was a huge reason that the Jets allowed as many big plays as they did, especially against the run.
With a familiar versatile role, Clark will likely feel right at home in the Jets defense. If he’s fully healthy, that could be a major upgrade at a very small price for a cap-strapped Jets team.
