5 former NY Jets who are still having trouble finding jobs

4. Connor McGovern, C, NY Jets

The Jets brought back starting center Connor McGovern on a dirt-cheap one-year, $1.95 million contract last offseason. McGovern would start seven games for the Jets before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

The seven-year NFL veteran has proven to be a capable starter in the past, although given his underwhelming market last offseason and his recent injury, it's fair to suggest that he might not receive a starting opportunity in 2024.

McGovern remains a free agent, and it's possible the Jets look to bring him back as a depth piece. Joe Tippmann has emerged as the team's starting center, but McGovern could provide quality depth to the Jets' interior offensive line.

If the medicals check out and McGovern is willing to take another team-friendly contract, there's no reason the Jets shouldn't explore a reunion at some point this offseason.

3. Carl Lawson, DE, NY Jets

One player who has almost certainly played his final game with the Jets is Carl Lawson. The Jets turned down an opportunity to release Lawson last offseason, a move that would've saved the team $15 million in cap space.

Instead, the Jets restructured Lawson's contract, pushing nearly $6 million in dead cap into 2024. The Jets hoped that a healthy Lawson could still provide value to a talented pass-rush corps. Unfortunately, we never got to see a healthy Lawson in a Jets uniform.

The former Cincinnati Bengals star injured his back in the summer and clearly wasn't himself come the regular season. Lawson spent most of the year as a "healthy" scratch, appearing in just six games.

It's hard to say what Lawson might still have left in the tank at this stage. Perhaps another year removed from his torn Achilles and back injury will allow him to regain some of his pre-injury form. Don't expect that to be with the Jets, however.