The New York Jets are going to have to make some tough decisions this offseason.

One of those could include cutting ties with a team captain. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report listed linebacker CJ Mosley as the “most likely” cap casualty for the green and white in 2024.

“Mosley has been good, but the Jets would create roughly $11 million in cap space by releasing [and] getting rid of Mosley. If they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, that number climbs to $17 million. That would nearly double their available cash,” Ballentine explained in an article posted on January, 16.

Mosley Is One of the Top Leaders on the Jets
Mosley, 31, has now been with the Jets [five years] as long as he has been with the Baltimore Ravens, his former team.

Although there have been a few more bumps in the road during his tenure with the green and white. Mosley signed a five-year $85 million contract to join the Jets back in 2019. Through his first two seasons, Mosley only played in portions of two games out of 32 possible contests.

He struggled with injuries in his first season and opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19.

It appeared the Jets had blown another massive free agency spending spree. However, Mosley turned things around when he was able to stay on the field.

Over the last three years, Mosley has appeared in 50 out of 51 possible games. In 2022 he was voted a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro. During that run, Mosley racked up over 487 total tackles, three and a half sacks, three interceptions, and 18 pass deflections.

What Are the Jets Options With Mosley?
In addition to his accolades, Mosley has also helped groom Quincy Williams from a forgotten-about player who got released into a first-team All-Pro.

Quincy deserves credit for seizing the day, but Mosley has helped pave the way and provided the young man with a role model to look up to.

All of that makes this potential decision all the more difficult for the Jets.

Rich Cimini of ESPN said on “The Flight Deck Podcast” that he thinks, “there will be a surprise or two in terms of possible player cuts.”

Rich Cimini of ESPN said the #Jets are going to have to make some “difficult decisions” this offseason because of their cap situation.

Rich Cimini of ESPN said the #Jets are going to have to make some "difficult decisions" this offseason because of their cap situation.

"I think there will be a surprise or two in terms of possible player cuts" … "just to get some operating room under the cap."

He didn't… pic.twitter.com/vaQSILTrAA

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) January 12, 2024

Mosley has been a starter and a key piece for the Jets over the last three years, but he’s 31 and he will turn 32 ahead of the 2024 season. The former Alabama product is entering the final year of his contract.

In September of 2022 general manager Joe Douglas tacked on two void years to Mosley’s contract. That means the Jets will still be eating dead cap in 2025 and 2026 even after Mosley is projected to be gone.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN told me before the 2023 season that the Jets and Mosley’s camp discussed a restructure. Nothing came of it.

If the Jets wanted to they could add two more void years to save additional cap space, per Rivka Boord of Jets X-Factor.

The other option for the Jets is allowing Mosley to play out his contract and let him walk in 2025 as an unrestricted free agent.

According to Spotrac, the Jets only have $7.5 million in cap space. That ranks No. 21 in the NFL heading into the 2024 offseason.