Former NY Jets coaches could poach Jamien Sherwood in free agency

The NY Jets are expected to undergo significant roster turnover this offseason, as should be expected with a regime change. However, one pending free agent the Jets should likely look to keep around is linebacker Jamien Sherwood.

Sherwood is coming off his first season as a full-time starting linebacker for the Jets and will be one of the team's most high-profile free agents this offseason. At just 25 years old, Sherwood is the type of player the Jets should look to build around on defense moving forward.

Unfortunately, they will have competition, most notably in the form of a few former coaches who might try to reunite with Sherwood this offseason. The Atlanta Falcons immediately spring to mind as an obvious destination.

Former Jets interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was hired as the Falcons' new DC last week and quickly brought former Jets linebackers coach Mike Rutenberg with him. With Jamien Sherwood set to hit free agency, Atlanta is expected to pursue the former Auburn standout.

Jeff Ulbrich and the Falcons could sign Jamien Sherwood away from the NY Jets

A fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Sherwood received an opportunity to start early in his career but a torn Achilles suffered just five games into his rookie season derailed his starting hopes.

Sherwood would spend the next few years primarily as a special-teamer and third/fourth linebacker before finally getting an opportunity to start as the team's MIKE linebacker in 2024 following an injury to C.J. Mosley.

The converted safety would put together a career year this season, leading in the NFL in solo tackles while finishing with a Pro Football Focus grade of 73.8, which ranked ninth among all qualified linebackers (min. 700 snaps).

Sherwood also finished fourth among linebackers with 59 run stops and missed just over 10 percent of his tackles, one of the lowest rates on the Jets' roster. He was quietly one of the best players on the Jets' defense in 2024.

Combine that with the fact that Sherwood just turned 25 earlier this month and that he's only been playing the position for a few years and it's easy to see why he might be a hot commodity on the open market.

The Jets already have Quincy Williams under contract, and it's likely he will be looking for a substantial pay raise in the near future. Still, Sherwood is a player the Jets should absolutely look to keep around.

The issue is that the Falcons also have a need at linebacker to address this offseason, and Sherwood might be very open to reuniting with the coaches who helped develop him in New York.

Don't be surprised if Robert Saleh and the San Francisco 49ers inquire about Sherwood's availability as well, especially given the uncertain future of Dre Greenlaw.

The Jets will likely have interest in re-signing Sherwood this offseason, but they will receive significant competition in the form of their former coaches.

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