C.J. Mosley offers final plea to NY Jets to re-sign Bryce Huff

It's safe to say that NY Jets players want to see Bryce Huff back with the team in 2024. Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley pleaded with Huff to stay when his name was brought up during the former's press conference on Monday.

Mosley praised Huff's development from an undrafted rookie to a bonafide star pass rusher moments after looking into the camera and uttering a plea to his fellow Jets defender.

"[Bryce Huff's] motor is unmatched. He's a guy that gives his all. He comes to work with a mindset to dominate and be the best player on the field, and that's what you want as a teammate."

- C.J. Mosley

Mosley saw firsthand what Huff was capable of this season. The former Memphis standout broke out with a career-high 10 sacks in 2023, more than doubling his career total this that point.

Huff is expected to be one of the most highly-touted free agents on the open market this offseason. The Jets will have to pay top dollar to keep him in Florham Park, and as Huff noted following Sunday's season finale, he's not taking a discount — nor should he.

The NY Jets might not answer C.J. Mosley's plea to re-sign Bryce Huff

Despite Mosley and Jets fans calling for the team to re-sign Huff, it's far from a guarantee they actually do. In reality, the Jets have been preparing for Huff's eventual departure for the last two seasons.

The team drafted Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald in the first round in consecutive drafts largely because they never planned to give Hall a second contract. McDonald was seen as a direct replacement for Huff, possibly as early as the 2023 season.

But Huff's continued dominance and improvement as an all-around edge rusher made it impossible for the Jets to keep him off the field this season, which came at the expense of McDonald's playing time.

If the Jets were to re-sign Huff, they'd essentially be committing to the fact that McDonald will be a backup for the duration of his rookie contract. Huff and Johnson would be the long-term starters, with John Franklin-Myers factoring in as well.

The Jets drafted McDonald to replace Huff. The only question now is, do they still believe he can fill that role? It would be a tall order to ask McDonald to fill the shoes of one of the most efficient and disruptive pass rushers in the NFL, especially after he played so sparingly as a rookie.

The Jets will have a difficult decision to make with Bryce Huff this offseason. If you ask C.J. Mosley, however, the decision should already be made.