9 NY Jets players who definitely won't be back in 2025

The NY Jets entered 2024 with genuine Super Bowl aspirations only to suffer through one of the most disastrous seasons in franchise history. After such a disappointing season, it's safe to say there will be changes up and down the roster.

That change will begin once the team hires a new head coach and general manager likely later this month and will continue with a host of roster modifications. The Jets are expected to overhaul a good portion of their roster this offseason.

Of course, the futures of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams will dominate much of the offseason conversation. While it's currently expected that neither will return, nothing is set in stone. However, the nine players listed in this article are virtually certain to move on in the offseason.

9. Leki Fotu won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

Perhaps no position group on the Jets roster was mismanaged more than the defensive line this offseason and this list will be representative of that. Expect the Jets to overhaul this unit in the coming months.

One player who is almost certain not to be back is defensive tackle Leki Fotu. The Jets entered the 2024 offseason knowing that they needed to improve their run defense, which is why they signed the veteran nose tackle to a cheap one-year deal.

A fourth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2020 NFL Draft, Fotu fit the prototype of a space-eating nose tackle, although his reputation as a run defender was highly questionable even when the Jets signed him.

In the end, Fotu played just two games with the Jets — appearing in as many games as he had IR stints. Fotu failed to impress in limited action, earning a putrid 38.1 Pro Football Focus run defense grade in those two games. That grade would rank sixth-worst among all qualified defensive linemen if he had played enough snaps to qualify.

The Jets need to make widespread changes to their defensive line in the offseason where improving the team's run defense will once again be a priority.

8. Tyron Smith won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

The Jets signed Tyron Smith to a one-year, $6.5 million contract in a move that seemed like one of the steals of the offseason at the time. Smith was fresh off a second-team All-Pro season with the Dallas Cowboys, and the belief was that, if healthy, he was still one of the best left tackles in the NFL.

There was no reason to believe otherwise. In 13 games with the Cowboys in 2023, Smith finished with a stellar 83.8 PFF grade which ranked fourth among all qualified offensive tackles. He allowed just one singular QB hit all season.

The Jets understood the injury risk with Smith, which is why it should come as no surprise that he missed seven games this year. The more shocking development was how suddenly he regressed.

Smith allowed more sacks (five) than any Jets player in 2024 despite only playing 10 games. His 22 pressures were the most he had allowed in a season since 2019 and ranked second-highest on the team behind rookie Olu Fashanu, whose numbers were skewed by his games at right tackle.

The Jets took a chance on Smith in an all-in season and it failed miserably. At least the team can take solace in knowing that they have their left tackle of the future waiting in the wings. As for Smith, there's a good chance his Hall of Fame career will end with this disappointing footnote.

7. Greg Zuerlein won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

Greg Zuerlein quite literally put together the best season by a kicker in Jets franchise history in 2023. Zuerlein was a revelation for Brant Boyer's unit, helping form one of the best special teams groups in the NFL alongside Thomas Morstead, Justin Hardee, and others.

The 13-year NFL veteran connected on 35-of-38 field-goal attempts, including 5-of-6 from 50+, and was genuinely one of the best kickers in football. When the Jets rewarded him with a two-year, $6.5 million extension in the offseason, the move seemed like a no-brainer.

But no move is ever a "no-brainer" when it comes to the Jets. Zuerlein showed signs of decline in the summer and never found his footing once the season started. He almost single-handedly cost the team multiple wins this season.

Zuerlein made just 9-of-15 field goals and failed to make a kick longer than 40 yards in the eight games he played. The Jets placed him on the injured reserve with a "knee injury" and that proved to be his swan song with the team.

Zuerlein is technically still under contract in 2025, but the Jets can cut him and save just shy of $2.5 million. Expect the new regime to do just that. At 37 years old, Zuerlein's NFL career might be over.

6. Micheal Clemons won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

Micheal Clemons essentially became the poster boy for the Jets' defensive line malpractice in the offseason. A guy who would be a fringe 53-man roster player on most NFL teams was stuck playing 55 percent of defensive snaps for the Jets in 2024 due to the team's own mistakes.

Clemons stepped into a starting role this season following the departures of Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers in the offseason. The Jets believed Clemons could fill a similar tweener role to the one Franklin-Myers did in New York. They couldn't have been more wrong in their evaluation.

The former Texas A&M product was a complete liability for the team's defense. Clemons finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 49.4 which ranked 111th out of 116 qualified edge rushers in 2024. He was one of only three edge rushers to finish with a PFF pass rush and run defense grade south of 55.0.

Clemons was a complete zero as both a pass rusher and run defender, making more headlines for his on-field skirmishes and personal foul penalties than his actual production.

Meanwhile, Franklin-Myers was outstanding with the Broncos this season, posting an 81.6 PFF grade which ranked eighth among all qualifiers. His 82.4 PFF pass-rush grade ranked fourth among over 100 qualified defensive linemen.

While Clemons is under contract for 2025, a new regime won’t share the same loyalty the current staff had for him. It wouldn't be a surprise if Clemons was not on a team's 53-man roster come September.

5. Javon Kinlaw won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

From one defensive line mistake to another, the Javon Kinlaw signing looked like a misstep at the time and that notion hasn't changed with the benefit of hindsight.

The Jets opted to let the productive Quinton Jefferson walk for cheap in free agency, instead spending over $7 million on former San Francisco 49ers draft bust Javon Kinlaw.

Kinlaw was a former first-round pick of Robert Saleh in San Francisco, and the ex-49ers defensive coordinator took a chance on his upside believing he could maximize his ceiling in New York despite his lack of career production.

Saleh was fired just five games into the season and Kinlaw proved to be just as much of a liability as his San Francisco self. The South Carolina product finished with just 3.5 sacks despite playing 61 percent of defensive snaps.

Kinlaw was a major problem in run defense, posting a lowly 50.4 PFF run defense grade. He also missed over 15 percent of his tackle attempts.

The Jets will search for different solutions at the defensive tackle position in the offseason. Unfortunately, Kinlaw's contract technically won't come off the books until 2029 because of void years. Shoutout Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh for this predictable disaster of a signing.

4. Haason Reddick won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

While Javon Kinlaw, Micheal Clemons, and Leki Fotu underperformed in 2024, no player epitomized the Jets’ mismanagement of the defensive line more than Haason Reddick. His situation serves as a stark reflection of the broader dysfunction that defined the entire Jets’ season.

The Jets pivoted to Reddick after letting Bryce Huff walk in free agency, striking a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles that saw Gang Green send a conditional third-round pick to their cross-conference trade partners.

The Jets seemed to be under the assumption that Reddick would report to OTAs and later training camp without securing a new contract, but as we all know, that never happened.

Reddick would hold out throughout training camp and miss the first seven weeks of the season. The Jets' pass rush struggled on a weekly basis, especially following an injury to Jermaine Johnson, all while Reddick sat at home and tanked his own value.

Months of drama and one dropped agency later, Reddick finally returned to the Jets in late October. Unfortunately, Reddick looked slow and out of shape and it showed on the field. He remains the only qualified edge rusher in the NFL (min. 200 pass rush snaps) not to record a full sack this season.

The Jets might as well have lit a third-round pick on fire and saved themselves the trouble. This will go down as one of the worst trades in franchise history — and one of the most foolish holdouts the league has ever seen.

3. C.J. Mosley won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

C.J. Mosley deserves his flowers for revitalizing his Jets career. After a rocky start, Mosley eventually returned to his All-Pro form, establishing himself as the vocal leader of the defense both on and off the field.

The Jets' decision to restructure his contract and keep him around in the offseason made sense at the time. Mosley was just two years removed from a second-team All-Pro season and was arguably even better in 2023. There was no reason to consider splitting up possibly the best linebacker duo in the NFL.

At least, that was the offseason narrative. Unfortunately, the injury bug once again struck, as Mosley would play just four games in 2024 as a result of various injuries. He briefly returned from a midseason toe injury only to find that Jamien Sherwood had taken his starting job.

Mosley isn't a free agent in the offseason and moving on would be costly, but it's hard to see the next regime bringing him back given his age and injury history. The Jets could designate Mosley as a post-June 1st cut and save $4 million in 2025 and over $3 million in 2026.

The decision becomes an even easier one if the Jets are able to re-sign Sherwood, who is set to hit free agency in March. Either way, Mosley has likely played his final game for the Jets.

2. D.J. Reed won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

D.J. Reed is the only player on this list to publicly acknowledge that he likely won’t return to the Jets in 2025, so I guess credit to him for his transparency. Reed isn't wrong — he's almost certainly played his final game with the Jets.

Unlike many of the others on this list, Reed's stint in New York should be remembered fondly. The Jets signed the veteran cornerback to a three-year, $33 million contract prior to the 2022 season, and it's safe to say Reed exceeded any and all expectations.

Reed helped form arguably the NFL's best cornerback trio in 2023 and played at a very high level for much of his Jets tenure. Unfortunately, the writing has been on the wall for quite some time now.

The Jets already paid Michael Carter II and are expected to do the same with Sauce Gardner in the near future. With so many other internal players to extend in the coming years, it would be difficult to justify paying top dollar for three different cornerbacks.

Reed seemed to acknowledge this when speaking to Go Long's Tyler Dunne following the Jets' Week 17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. “I’m ready to go to free agency, bro,” Reed told Dunne. “I’m ready to see what’s next for me.”

1. Allen Lazard won't be back with the NY Jets in 2025

The futures of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are still uncertain enough to avoid inclusion on this list, but the same can't be said about Allen Lazard. Even if Rodgers does return in 2025 (which seems highly unlikely at this stage), Lazard won't be there with him.

The Jets signed Lazard to a four-year, $44 million contract prior to the 2023 season, giving him more guaranteed money than any wide receiver signed that offseason. It didn't take long for the Jets to realize their mistake.

Lazard was a disaster in his first season with the team, leading all NFL receivers with an abysmal 17.9 percent drop rate (min. 40 targets). Former Jets head coach Robert Saleh even publicly suggested the team was counting down the days until they could get out of his contract.

Lazard returned from his benching this season and actually showed some signs of life early in the year before the inconsistencies returned. The former Packers wideout once again leads all qualified NFL receivers with a 19.0 percent drop rate in 2024. Yes, somehow he got even worse.

The Jets can save over $6.6 million in cap space by releasing Lazard this offseason, and while doing so would carry a dead cap charge of $6.5 million, that shouldn't affect that decision. The Lazard contract is the latest in a long line of free-agent failures for the Jets franchise.

More NY Jets news and analysis: