C.J. Mosley is no longer on the Jets but he's still leading their locker room

The New York Jets moved on from longtime linebacker C.J. Mosley this offseason, ending a six-year stint that was equal parts tumultuous and redemptive. But while the former captain no longer owns a locker at Florham Park, his presence is still being felt in more ways than one.

Just ask Quincy Williams. The All-Pro linebacker told reporters at OTAs that Mosley has remained a constant presence in his life, recently offering leadership advice over lunch and at youth camps this spring.

A few weeks later, Jamien Sherwood echoed those sentiments at minicamp, stating, “Without him, this process for me would not be possible.”

For two of the Jets’ defensive cornerstones, Mosley remains a guiding voice even after his release, and as the team prepares for a new era, his fingerprints are still all over its linebacker room.

C.J. Mosley still has a direct and indirect impact on the NY Jets

Mosley's Jets career didn’t start the way anyone hoped. After signing a then-record-setting five-year, $85 million deal in 2019, Mosley played just two games in his first two seasons due to injury and a COVID-19 opt-out.

He returned in 2021, clearly rusty, and for a time, it looked like his prime may have passed him by. But Mosley quickly proved that his best years in Baltimore weren't quite yet behind him.

He clawed his way back to peak form, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 2022 and finishing with a career-best 82.9 Pro Football Focus grade in 2023.

Injuries finally caught up to him again last season, as he appeared in only four games due to lingering toe and back issues, but his legacy in New York was already rewritten by then.

Few players benefited more from Mosley’s presence than Quincy Williams. Known early on for his athleticism and inconsistency, Williams developed into a more complete linebacker under Mosley's tutelage.

He credited his former teammate this spring for helping him embrace leadership responsibilities, asking for advice on how to step up in a room where he’s now the veteran voice. Williams broke out in 2023 with a first-team All-Pro season and remains one of the Jets’ defensive leaders heading into 2025.

Sherwood’s breakout was even more directly tied to Mosley. When Mosley went down early in 2024, Sherwood was thrust into the MIKE linebacker role, a massive responsibility for the former fifth-round pick. But Sherwood flourished.

His 73.8 PFF grade ranked 18th among 84 qualified linebackers, and he even received All-Pro votes. He made it clear at minicamp that Mosley’s mentorship played a huge role in that development, telling reporters he missed having him in the room and wouldn’t be where he is without him.

Mosley may no longer be on the roster, but between his direct guidance and the foundation he laid, his impact is still very much present in the heart of the Jets defense.

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