NY Jets 2015 Spotlight: Sheldon Richardson

Last season with the NY Jets, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson found himself in a ton of trouble to start things off but did his best to rebound for the benefit of the team throughout the season.

Richardson started off the regular season being suspended by the NFL due to his off-the-field behaviors. He missed the first four games of the regular season which put the Jets in a bind at the time since he was entering his third season of his career and is considered one of their premier defensive players on the team.

It opened up an opportunity for first-round draft pick Leonard Williams to get some valuable starting time while also showing Richardson that he could indeed be replaceable. Through various press conferences and interviews, Richardson vowed to get back in track and not let his name be in the papers for the wrong reasons.

Once Richardson got through his suspension, it was business as usual the moment he was able to step foot on the field. Last season with the Jets, Richardson totaled 20 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defended.

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For the most part after his suspension, Richardson kept true to his word that he wouldn’t get back into trouble or give the Jets anymore headaches.

As the offseason is officially here now, Richardson must continue working hard to give the Jets more reasons than not to keep him around as 2016 is the final year of the rookie contract he signed back in 2013.

Set to be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, Richardson will no doubt put up his best season yet in an effort to put the Jets in a position to want to extend his contract and remain with the team. Otherwise, he’ll put on a show for a ton of suitors that will no doubt want to acquire his services should he hit next year’s free agency period.

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Overall, Richardson continues to be an anchor on the Jets’ defensive line and as long as he learned from his mistakes and continues playing such a high level of football, he should be fine and continue being a force to reckon with for years to come.