After a breakthrough season in 2024, Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood was set to become a free agent for the first time in his career last month.
But before that happened, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey made him one of their first transactions since joining the team after signing Sherwood to a three-year, $45 million deal ($30 million guaranteed).
“The process for me was full of excitement,” Sherwood said on Wednesday. “As a kid and as you get older, going through high school, college, to getting drafted and then the free agent market, it’s big.
“You work your whole life to reach an accomplishment like that and to be able to take care of your friends and family. For me, it was just exciting. I left it all in God’s hands and let my play speak for itself. But ultimately, God put me where he wanted me to be, and I’m thankful for everything that has happened.”
The Jets had 28 players scheduled to become free agents, but they were determined to keep Sherwood, 25, from entering the open market, and for good reason. After changing positions in college at Auburn and being selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Sherwood’s success story shows that hard work and patience can genuinely pay off.
Sherwood played in just five games during his rookie season. But he rebounded to become the Jets’ third linebacker, primarily playing in nickel packages in 2022 and 2023.
However, Sherwood finally got an opportunity to lead the Jets’ defense last season. He became the team’s MIKE linebacker, often called the “quarterback of the defense” for calling plays and communicating with other defensive players after C.J. Mosley injured his toe in Week 2.
Sherwood then registered a team-high 158 tackles, which was tied for third in the league. He also had two sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
“Really, really good communicator,” Glenn said about Sherwood at the NFL Annual Meetings last week. “He can run, he has coverage ability. You just watch him on tape and the way that he talks and reacts to all the players around him and the way the players react to him, lets you know he is a true quarterback of a defense. We want to make sure we have that on defense. Getting him was critical to continue building this defense.”
The Jets released Mosley last month, paving the way for Sherwood to become one of the captains of their defense. After his breakout season, Sherwood wants to continue improving by taking more of a leadership role.
“I had a big offseason signing a new deal, but for me, that only happened because of the teammates I had,” Sherwood said.
“That doesn’t mean nothing if I can’t bring along people with me. It means everything that I can take care of my family now, but I want to help somebody else do the same for their family. Teaching people the process and staying down the way that I’ve stayed down, and when I got my opportunity, just rising to the occasion. Helping people study, play harder doing whatever they have to do so when their time comes next year and years to come, they’re put in the same situation.”
In addition to Glenn as his new coach, Sherwood will have a new defensive coordinator in Steve Wilks, who will inherit a Jets unit that finished in the top five in yards allowed for three consecutive years. But in addition to Mosley, D.J. Reed, Javon Kinlaw, and Haason Reddick also all left in free agency.
The Jets didn’t make many splashes in free agency, but two were cornerback Brandon Stephens and safety Andre Cisco. Wilks will likely use a 4-3 scheme, much like he did with the 49ers, Browns, Cardinals, and Panthers, which relies heavily on nickel packages, disguised coverages, and a high blitz pressure rate.
“Watching their tape, two phenomenal players,” Sherwood said. “Cisco, we actually came out of high school at the same time as the 2018 class. I had a friend on Jacksonville, so I used to watch the Jaguars pretty often and he’s been a great player since college and high school as well, he’s a ballhawk.
“Same thing with Brandon Stephens, very long physical corner. I’m excited to play alongside both of them this season.”
Sherwood is also excited to learn from Glenn, who came from a Lions team that had great success after winning the NFC North in back-to-back seasons.
In 2023, when Glenn was the Lions’ defensive coordinator, they finished 19th in the league in yards (336.1), a year after finishing last in that category. The following season, Detroit was 20th in yards allowed (342.4), but was seventh in points allowed (20.1). The Lions allowed the second-lowest completion percentage (61.1%) and the league’s lowest passer rating (82.0) last season despite having 13 defensive players on injured reserve.
“He’ll be a great mentor for us all,” Sherwood said about Glenn. “For me, it’s good to have a coach like that has played and I can see where he’s coming from and understand where he’s coming from as being a player.
“He can teach me how he saw it and long with the other coaches, they also played as well. Just having all those different perspectives all in one is big for all of us as players.”
