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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh in the middle of a preseason game.
The New York Jets have moved a large amount of money ahead of the 2022 season.
According Yates Estate of ESPN, Gang Green “converted” more than $14.88 million of linebacker CJ Mosley’s base salary into a signing bonus. In other words, this move helped create nearly $12 million in cap space for the upcoming season.
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What does all this mean?
Prior to this restructuring, the Jets had an opt-out after this season on Mosley’s contract.
Had they exercised this, they could have left the former Alabama star with a minimal death cap (just $3 million) at the same time they would also have saved over $15 million in cap relief.
However, the relief they gained in 2022 came at a price.
Now here’s how Mosley’s contract breaks down over the last two years of the contract (per Connor Hughes from SNY):
- Cap of $21.46 million reached (2023)
- Cap reached at $21.45 million (2024)
Now, if the Jets cut Mosley in 2023, his dead cap charge has jumped to $11.84 million.
Hugues said this “probable links” the Jets’ team captain to the team in 2023. That wasn’t the case before this restructuring where he likely would have been cut after this season.
An interesting move
The Jets had to go below the salary cap before the 2022 season and this move by Mosley did.
Some fans were hoping this might mean another blockbuster move is coming, however, Hughes threw cold water on this idea by saying on Twitter that it was rather procedural:
Even then, this decision was stunning.
General manager Joe Douglas doesn’t normally do that with contracts and especially with older veterans.
You would have thought the GM would be licking his chops to get out of that Mosley contract with as little damage as possible next offseason. However, now this path has become much more difficult.
Mosley is 30 and in 2023 he will be 31. In the first two years of his contract, the veteran linebacker has only played two-game stretches.
The free agent follies initially looked like an utter disaster, however, Mosley bounced back last season with a historic campaign:
- 168 tackles combined
- Two forced escapes
- two bags
Apparently, the Jets believe this wasn’t an isolated incident and that he can continue to be successful into his 30s.
Mosley was the undisputed leader of this defense. Head coach Robert Saleh has cut his teeth on this side of the ball for a long time and has a solid reputation for building linebackers.
It was a couple that most weren’t sure would happen. Saleh admitted to the media that he wasn’t sure if the former Alabama player could move to their program.
Then Mosley lost a lot of weight, bought in and delivered a stellar season last year. Now the Jets are planning a juicy recall in 2022.
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