The New York Jets could be losing a promising building block this offseason.
ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler told me on “Boy Green Daily” that the team is expected to lose starting linebacker Jamien Sherwood in free agency.
“You are going to lose Jamien Sherwood most likely,” Fowler said.
Oh wow! #Jets LB Jamien Sherwood is gonna have ‘a lot of interest’ + ‘more so than you would think’ on the open market in free agency, ESPN #NFL Insider @JFowlerESPN told me. 👀
Two teams to watch out for include the #Falcons & #49ers with the Jeff Ulbrich & Robert Saleh… pic.twitter.com/sb1iSiqxcN
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) January 29, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Sherwood is expected to sign a two-year deal for $15.5 million with $8 million guaranteed, according to Pro Football Focus’ projections. That $7.75 million annual salary would make him the No. 15 highest-paid linebacker in football, per Over The Cap.
Sherwood Is Coming off of a Record-Breaking Year
Sherwood, 25, finally got his chance to become a full-time starter after being a role player through his first three seasons.
The former Auburn product delivered.
Sherwood finished with 158 total tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended. Those 158 tackles were the third most in the NFL last season, per ESPN.
The only reason he got the opportunities he did is because veteran team captain C.J. Mosley got hurt in Week 2 which opened the door for Sherwood to get more playing time.
The timing couldn’t have worked out any better.
This past season was the last year of his $3.8 million rookie deal. After that record-breaking year, Sherwood has turned a lot of heads.
Jets Linebacker Is Expected to Garner a Lot of Free Agent Interest
“A name that came up unprompted by like three or four teams was Sherwood, the linebacker. I think he is going to do really well [on the open market],” Fowler told me on “Boy Green Daily.” “He is going to have a lot of interest I would say. More so than you would think. I think it was one of those cases where the Jets like they could have gotten a deal done with him before the year and they didn’t. Then he was balling out, so they’re like what about now? It’s like well it’s too late. I think it was that kind of situation from what I’ve heard.”
Fowler said he expects him to reach the open market of free agency.
Two options that will make sense for Sherwood are the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers, Fowler told me.
Jeff Ulbrich served as the Jets’ defensive coordinator from 2021 through 2024. He was let go by the Jets and picked up by the Falcons as their new DC this offseason.
Robert Saleh was fired by the Jets after serving as the head coach from 2021 through 2024. He got picked up by the 49ers to be their DC in January.
Matt Bowen of ESPN ranked Sherwood as the No. 37 overall best free agent that’ll be available this offseason. He is the No. 4 best-ranked linebacker that is set to hit the open market per that same list.
“The tape is trending up on Sherwood after he posted 154 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3 pass breakups with the Jets this season. Sherwood can play downhill with speed, cutting off the ball and pursuing the edges. And I see coverage upside here, too. Sherwood is a three-down player with special teams coverage ability, and his best football is ahead of him,” Bowen wrote.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jets Expected to Lose Starter to $15.5 Million Deal After Career Year appeared first on Heavy Sports.