Last season, the New York Jets failed to make the playoffs, and it will go down as one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. Most of the blame falls on the owner, but the defense was the most disappointing facet of their game. A big reason why, is due to LB CJ Mosley. Mosley played only 4 games and did not play the rest of the season. It turns out, that may be the last time Mosley ever plays. It is being rumored and reported that he might be retiring.

The Athletic Report Mentioning CJ Mosley

cj mosley

This comes from The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, who wrote a piece regarding the Jets cap situation. It is a good piece, but a big takeaway was the discussion of Mosley. It’s clear Mosley’s days as a Jet were numbered, as the team can save 4 million dollars in cap space by releasing him. The key line in that article was “the most likely outcome is that he retires.”. CJ Mosley is 32 years old, so why would he retire? Well, there is a good reason.

The Neck Injury He Suffered Might Be Career Ending

This season, Mosley only played a total of 4 games. He was dealing with a toe issue, but what truly ended his season, was the neck injury he suffered during that Patriots game in October. Neck injuries are no joke, and he herniated a disc, which is never good. The craziest part was he didn’t herniate his disk during the game. Apparently, Mosley felt something was wrong when he was warming up, after his pregame speech. That’s pretty telling as to how seriously hurt he was, and its obviously a potential career ending injury if the word retirement is being thrown around. Look at what happened to former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander-Esch.

CJ Mosley’s Career As A Jet Was Up And Down

Looking back on Mosley’s career with the Jets, it was very up and down. In the 2019 offseason, the New York Jets signed Mosley to a five-year, $85 million contract. This was a big deal, as the Jets needed a linebacker, and Mosley was the best option available. Unfortunately, in his first season, he only played 2 games, as he suffered a groin injury. The next year, he also did not play because of opting out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It felt like Mosley would go down as one of the worst free agent contracts in Jets history, and there have been some awful signings. Then came his next three seasons, and he would be a dominant linebacker and a leader on this team. Heck, he even became a Pro Bowler in 2022, when he made 158 tackles and 7 pass deflections. The beginning was rough, but the 2nd half of his tenure was so much better.

If This Is It? Thank You Mosley

Now, keep in mind that this is a rumor. However, if this news is true, and Mosley does decide to retire, I just want to say thank you. I was a big fan of CJ Mosley during his time as a Baltimore Raven. While it was rocky during his first few seasons with New York, it was still cool to see him play as a Jet. Whatever he decides to do with his football career or his life post-football, I will respect it. I wish him nothing but the best.