The New York Jets are staring down a massive rebuild in their linebacker room - and not by choice. What was once a strength of their defense has unraveled quickly.
C.J. Mosley, the veteran leader and heartbeat of that unit, called it a career.
Jamien Sherwood, expected to step into a bigger role, struggled mightily under the weight of those expectations. And Quincy Williams?
All signs point to him wearing a different uniform next season.
So now, the Jets find themselves in scramble mode. They have to address the position this offseason - through free agency, the draft, or most likely, both.
There’s already buzz around a potential reunion with Detroit’s Alex Anzalone, who has ties to the Jets’ coaching staff. But that’s just one option.
The 2026 NFL Draft offers some intriguing names too, like Ohio State’s Arvell Reese or his teammate Sonny Styles, both of whom bring versatility and athletic upside.
But here’s where things get interesting: the Jets might not stop at a familiar face like Anzalone. According to Pro Football Focus, another name to watch is Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush - and he might just be more than a Plan B.
Bush is coming off a breakout season in Jim Schwartz’s defense, and it wasn’t just a good year - it was elite. He posted an 87.6 overall PFF grade, with an 80.4 mark in coverage, both ranking fourth among all linebackers in the league. He also finished eighth in run defense, and his playmaking instincts showed up on the stat sheet with three interceptions, two of which he took to the house.
That kind of production is hard to ignore, especially for a Jets defense that desperately needs someone who can cover in space and hold up against the run. If Bush can replicate that level of play in New York, he’d be a massive upgrade - and not just a stopgap.
Now, there are fair questions about whether Bush’s resurgence was a product of Schwartz’s system. Before landing in Cleveland, the former first-round pick out of Michigan bounced around a bit and never quite lived up to the hype in Pittsburgh.
But sometimes, it takes the right scheme and coaching to unlock a player’s full potential. The Jets have to decide if they believe Bush’s 2025 season was a one-off or the start of something more.
And given the state of their linebacker corps, they may not have the luxury of being overly cautious. Even if Sherwood rebounds and Anzalone comes aboard, adding a high-ceiling talent like Bush could give the Jets a much-needed trio to stabilize the middle of their defense. It would also allow them to commit to a more defined role for someone like Arvell Reese, potentially moving him to edge full-time rather than forcing him into a hybrid role that rarely works at the NFL level.
The bottom line? The Jets are in talent-acquisition mode - plain and simple.
They can’t afford another season of subpar linebacker play. If Bush is available and willing, he’s the kind of swing worth taking.