5 more NY Jets players who might've played their final game with the team

4. Duane Brown, OT, NY Jets

The Jets originally intended to sign veteran Duane Brown as insurance behind Mekhi Becton and George Fant, but following Becton's season-ending knee injury, Brown was immediately thrust into a starting role.

Unfortunately for Brown, he suffered a shoulder injury before the start of the season and missed the first four games of the year. Rather than opt for season-ending surgery, Brown decided to play through the injury.

Brown deserves plenty of credit for playing through a serious shoulder injury at 37 years old, but his results on the field were understandably less than stellar. His 57.8 Pro Football Focus grade ranked 72nd among 83 qualified offensive tackles.

His PFF run-block grade of 44.4 ranked 75th among 78 qualifiers as Brown struggled mightily in the run game. He was bad in 2022, due in large part to his injury, but he was still bad.

The Jets could opt to bring Brown back for another season, after all, he is under contract in 2023. However, his $11.28 million cap hit is significant. The Jets could cut Brown and save roughly $5 million in cap space.

There's also a possibility that Brown simply opts to retire. He remained noncommittal on his NFL future when he spoke to reporters last. That scenario would save the Jets the most money, of course.

The Jets could bring Brown back in 2023 with the expectation that he competes for a starting job, but $11 million for a player who might not start is a lot given the team's tricky cap situation.

It's not a guarantee that Brown is gone, but I'd say it's more likely than not that he's played his final game with the Jets.