Free Agency may be a month away but the New York Jets are already letting some of their older veterans get a head start in the process.
The contracts of safety Jordan Whitehead, defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson, quarterback Carl Lawson, and tackle Duane Brown were terminated by New York. There is an immediate free agency test available for all four starters, but there is a $15.8 million dead cap cost
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The four players will have the opportunity to sign somewhere this spring even though they won’t be able to immediately exercise their right to free agency when it begins in less than a month.
Brown, 38, just finished a season in which he was expected to start for New York at left tackle. A hip ailment placed him on injured reserve for the most of the season, limiting his playing time to only five games with three starts. Both Whitehead and Jefferson were strong Jets starters in 2023 (Jefferson had six sacks and Whitehead had four interceptions). If the money makes sense for both parties, they may decide to return to New York during the offseason.
On the other side, Lawson’s back ailment sustained during training camp made it difficult for him to play this season. For most of the year, despite earning $9 million annually, he was a healthy scratch.
It’s unlikely that most or all of the current voided players will return for the 2024 season because New York is searching for improvements at every position they perform at.
