Thought to be a steal of the New York Jets’ 2021 free agent class based on his solid play previously with the Cincinnati Bengals, Carl Lawson signed a three-year, $45 million deal with his new team. At that time, it was thought to be a very fair contract, considering how the market was starting to go up for pass rushers.
Unfortunately, the veteran D-lineman wound up suffering a torn Achilles tendon in training camp that August and missed the entire season.
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2023 NFL Trade Candidate | New York Jets EDGE Carl Lawson
Lawson came back last year and played in all 17 games, but the club approached him with a pay cut for this season, which he agreed to.
MORE: New York Jets Depth Chart
New York will still pay him at least $8 million, and Lawson was scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed salary of $15 million for 2023, so it made sense for him to at least get just over half of it guaranteed, which both sides agreed to just a few weeks after this year’s NFL Draft.
One of the reasons why the Jets approached him with a pay reduction was because they selected DE Will McDonald IV in the first round, and they took DE/OLB Jermaine Johnson in last year’s draft.
A source said that Johnson, who struggled a bit as a rookie, really started to take off in the Jets’ offseason program this year, and the feeling around the team is that he was ready for an increased role, which made Lawson essentially an insurance policy.
Because Lawson has barely played this season — and it’s hard to justify keeping him on the bench with a $6 million base salary — it’s well-known around the NFL that he’s very available. However, the Jets might have to take on a portion of his salary in order to move him.
