Why did Jets release C.J. Mosley? Reasons for 5x Pro Bowler's exit explored

In one of the most shocking news of the 2025 NFL free agency period, the New York Jets announced the release of middle linebacker C.J. Mosley. The five-time Pro Bowler spent five years with the New York Jets but the team made the difficult decision to part ways.

New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn said this:

"It's hard to move on from a player like C.J. Mosley, who has given everything of himself to an organization. From everything we learned about C.J., he is a passionate leader who put the New York Jets first and got the most out of his teammates. We wish him and his family the best as he moves forward with his career." h/t ESPN

Let's take a closer look into some potential reasons why the New York Jets made this decision to release Mosley.

Why did the Jets release C.J. Mosley?

Man without a position

The New York Jets seemingly have decided to move on from C.J. Mosley and one of the bigger reasons that would make sense is that he simply lost his starting spot. Mosley was the signal caller for the defense and once he suffered an injury, linebacker Jamien Sherwood, who the New York Jets re-signed to a three-year, $45 million contract on Sunday, there was no reason to keep him.

Mosley's value as a middle linebacker diminishes if relegated to a bench role, something the team wanted to avoid to prevent tension within the roster.

Injuries took control

Mosley signed with the New York Jets ahead of the 2019 season and over that time, he has only been able to play in 56 games as he opted out of the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic, only played two games in 2019 and missed three games in the 2024 season with a toe injury before suffering a season-ending non-contact neck injury in Week 8 during warmups.

The Jets did get three great seasons where CJ Mosley played at least 16 games, including a Pro Bowl campaign. However, he is now approaching his age-33 season so the contract no longer justifies the value, despite his impact on defense when healthy.