5 NY Jets players whose careers went awry in 2023

2. Carl Lawson, DE, NY Jets

The Jets showed faith in Carl Lawson last offseason, choosing to restructure his contract instead of recouping $15 million in savings by simply releasing him. That move suggested the Jets had big plans for Lawson, who was going to be another year removed from the torn Achilles that cost him a year of his career.

Unfortunately, Lawson suffered a back injury in the summer that left him on the sideline throughout training camp. The former Cincinnati Bengals standout never fully recovered from the injury, looking like a shell of his former self in the measly six games he played.

Lawson was expected to serve a key role in Robert Saleh's defensive line rotation in 2023. Instead, he was a healthy scratch for most of the season.

Jets fans never got an opportunity to see what a fully healthy Carl Lawson could do in New York. Now, he'll simply be hoping to latch on with a new team on a short-term, prove-it deal this offseason.

1. Allen Lazard, WR, NY Jets

The Jets paid Allen Lazard more guaranteed money than any free-agent wide receiver signed last offseason. The former undrafted free agent was coming off the best season of his career and seemed primed to take another step forward with Aaron Rodgers in New York.

Then, Rodgers got hurt, and Lazard put together what was easily the worst year of his career. Lazard ranked dead-last in essentially every wide receiver metric, from open score to drop rate, finishing with just 23 catches for 311 yards.

The Jets made Lazard a healthy scratch on multiple occasions and had head coach Robert Saleh blatantly suggest to the media that the team planned to cut him at the earliest possible time.

Lazard's reputation and stock are at an all-time low, and it'll take a significant bounce-back season for the Jets not to follow through with Saleh's insinuated plan to release him after next season.