The New York Jets free agency news could not wait until Monday when the legal tampering period officially begins.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets re-signed free agent linebacker Jamien Sherwood to a three-year, $45 million deal worth $30 million in guarantees.
Sherwood, 25, entered free agency this offseason as a big name at linebacker. Pressed into starting action this past season—in the place of the injured C.J. Mosley—the Auburn product earned team MVP honors thanks to his play.
A fifth-round selection of Joe Douglas’s Jets in 2021 finished with a team-high 158 total tackles and an NFL-high 98 solo tackles in 17 games this past season (16 games started). Sherwood also compiled 10 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits, and 3 passes defended.
Questions surrounded the Jets’ interest in Sherwood due to the new regime Woody Johnson brought on in early February. Would head coach Aaron Glenn want the converted safety back?
A tremendous argument can be made that Sherwood and Quincy Williams are too light as a starting duo. The 2024 game tape features a lot of reckless positioning and side-stepping blocks, which contrasts with the more traditional run-filling and spilling some traditional coaches prefer.
At the very least, one of the two linebackers needs to be heavier in nature. Yet, both Sherwood and Quincy are the antithesis of that mindset.
With Quincy entering the final year of his deal, his future with the Jets remains a major question. Nonetheless, expect Glenn to target a heavier linebacker at some point in the draft.
