Demario Davis is finally starting to look his age in Year 15

This past spring, the New York Jets were in the market for a veteran linebacker, and they went out and signed a former draft pick, Demario Davis. Not only did the Jets think they were getting a leader they desperately needed on that side of the ball, but hopefully still a player with some juice left in the tank.

That sounds a bit far-fetched for a player entering his age-37 season, but with the LeBron James-esque way Davis takes care of his body, and how good he had been the last few years for the New Orleans Saints, there was certainly reason for optimism.

Unfortunately, eight games into the 2026 season, we can now say rather definitively that Davis may, in fact, be cooked. Don't get us wrong, he's still a vocal and emotional leader for a rather inexperienced Jets team, but his play on the field suggests he's really starting to look his age.

It's not entirely his fault. Maybe Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn should've considered the possibility that Davis, entering his 15th year in the league with over 227 career games under his belt, wouldn't be able to keep pace with the ever-growing speed of the NFL.

Demario Davis is starting to look like he's lost a step for the New York Jets

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt shared some disheartening statistics after the first eight games of Davis' first season back in New York since 2017, and they're not pretty.

The five-time All-Pro is currently tied for the most missed tackles among linebackers in the NFL with 11, and that's not even including his Pro Football Focus grade, which sits at a lowly 50.2. That currently ranks 67th among 75 qualified players.

It's become increasingly obvious that Davis is meant to be an every-down starter at this point in his career, and that's exactly what the Jets desperately need him to be right now. He just doesn't have it anymore at 37.

New York signed him to a two-year contract this past March, meaning they're on the hook for him this upcoming offseason. We'll see what Darren Mougey (or whoever the general manager will be in 2027) decides to do with his contract.

Luckily, his deal is not ironclad. Mougey front-loaded it with $15 million guaranteed this season. The Jets could cut Davis next spring, freeing up $12 million in cap space and incurring a $10 million cap hit, netting the Jets $2 million in cap space heading into free agency.

Of course, those concerns are a ways down the road. But with the way things are with the Jets right now, it's hard not to keep at least one eye on the future.

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