New York Jets

New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco is expected to miss only one or two games as he continues to recover from neck surgery. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Flacco visited a specialist in Philadelphia on Friday to evaluate his progress. Rapoport noted Flacco's final checkup will be in September, "but so far so good."

Flacco will enter the season as a backup for the first time in his 13-year career, sitting behind Sam Darnold after signing a one-year deal in the offseason.

"I'm fully embracing it," he said of being a backup, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. "I mean, it's where I am right now. I'm glad to be on a team playing football in some capacity."

Flacco began the 2019 season as the Denver Broncos' starter but struggled as the team went 2-6 in the first half of the year. Flacco's season only got worse when a bulging disk in his neck forced him to the sidelines for the rest of the year.

The Jets have David Fales penciled in behind Flacco as their No. 3 quarterback.    

New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley called opting out of the 2020 NFL season the "biggest football decision I've made in a long time," per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

He later explained his biggest concern was the risk of spreading the coronavirus to his family.

"Because of COVID, my family is my support system with my son," Mosley said. "So, I didn't want to risk that obviously. But I think just looking at the big picture, for me, I want to make sure I'm mentally and physically the best person I can be so I can be that leader I know I can be."

The linebacker is one of two Jets players to opt out as of Tuesday, with offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi also sitting out the year.

It will especially be difficult to replace Mosley, who is a difference-maker when on the field. The 28-year-old earned four Pro Bowl selections in five years with the Baltimore Ravens and was named second-team All-Pro four different times.

He topped 100 tackles in all but one year in that stretch.

This production earned him a five-year, $85 million deal with the Jets, although his first season with the new team was limited to just two games. After returning an interception for a touchdown in Week 1, he suffered a groin injury that kept him out most of the year.

New York will once again have to play without him for the entire 2020 season, likely relying on James Burgess, Neville Hewitt and Patrick Onwuasor to anchor the defense. Meanwhile, Mosley will get the chance to focus on returning to full strength in 2021.

"I'm out all year so I have all this time to mentally get better, physically get better, kind of re-adjust and kind of find that flame again," he said.

Offensive guard Brian Winters has been with the New York Jets his entire career since they selected him with a third-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, but that will reportedly change in 2020. 

On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Jets will cut the starting right guard.

Schefter also suggested "as a starting guard, Winters is not expected to be without a job very long."

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News noted the move clears $7.28 million off the 2020 cap for the AFC East team, pointing out Winters was rehabbing from shoulder surgery and set to enter the final year of his contract.

The Kent State product played just nine games during the 2019 campaign, ending his streak of playing at least 13 games at four years after he appeared in six games in 2014.

Pro Football Focus gave Winters a solid but unspectacular 62.4 overall grade for his efforts last year, and he was part of a Jets offensive line that Football Outsiders ranked as the 31st-best run-blocking unit and 30th-best in pass protection.

Leaving the Jets means Winters could sign somewhere that gives him a better opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time in his career. New York has not made the postseason since the 2010 campaign when it lost the AFC Championship Game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Winters is just 29 years old and figures to have multiple years of prime production remaining for whichever team signs him if he can remain healthy.

New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley is reportedly opting out of the 2020 NFL season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, a source said Mosley's decision is due to "family health concerns."

Mosley signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the Jets in free agency last offseason. His first season in New York after five years with the Baltimore Ravens was a bust, as a groin injury limited him to just two games.

Mosley is perhaps the highest-profile player to opt out of the 2020 season thus far. Other notable players who have opted out include New York Giants offensive tackle Nate Solder, Kansas City Chiefs running back Damien Williams, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and seven members of the New England Patriots, including linebacker Dont'a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon.

With the Jets trading All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks in late July, Mosley was set to enter 2020 as the team's clear top player and leader on defense.

While Mosley has yet to accomplish much in New York, he was a four-time Pro Bowler in his five seasons with the Ravens. During his tenure in Baltimore, he averaged nearly 116 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions per season.

Now that Mosley is out of the fold for 2020, the Jets will be tasked with finding two starters at inside linebacker among Blake Cashman, Avery Williamson, James Burgess, Neville Hewitt and Patrick Onwuasor.

Burgess and Hewitt were the most productive among them for the Jets last season, as Burgess registered 80 tackles in 10 starts and Hewitt made 75 tackles in 10 starts. Cashman also showed some flashes as a rookie fifth-round pick with 40 tackles in seven games, including five starts.

The Jets haven't made the playoffs since 2010 and would have been hard pressed to compete in what should be a strong AFC East this season with the Bills and Miami Dolphins both improving and the Patriots remaining a constant threat.

With the Jets losing their top two defensive players in the matter of a week, 2020 could be a major struggle for Gang Green.

Despite finishing 23rd in the NFL last season with 35 sacks, the New York Jets reportedly won't be pursuing Jadeveon Clowney. 

Per ESPN's Rich Cimini, the Jets have "no interest" in signing the three-time Pro Bowler. 

The subject came up when Bradley McDougald, who was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks as part of the Jamal Adams trade, told reporters he would "love to have" his former teammate in New York. 

Clowney is the biggest remaining free agent on the market, though there is no indication a signing is imminent. 

Per Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, "several NFL sources" believe Clowney won't sign soon. 

A source told Robinson that Clowney "may be inclined" to do what he did last year when he didn't report to camp with the Houston Texans until August. The Texans traded Clowney to the Seahawks on Sept. 1 for Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo and a 2020 third-round pick. 

Clowney did have core muscle surgery in February after playing through the injury during the 2019 season. The South Carolina alum told Mark Berman of Fox 26 in May that he will "ready to go whenever the time comes."

Clowney was linked to the Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns at various points this offseason, but nothing has come from those rumors. 

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Texans in 2014, Clowney was named to three straight Pro Bowls from 2016-18, which included registering 18.5 sacks over those last two seasons. The 27-year-old had 31 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss and three sacks in 13 games with the Seahawks last season. 

Jamal Adams had a tiff with former New York Jets teammate Le'Veon Bell on social media this week, but it doesn't appear any hard feelings are lingering for him.

Adams said Thursday on SportsCenter:

"It's nothing but love for Le'Veon. I really do wish him well. Everybody has their opinion about certain things, and that's just the nature of the beast. I had to do what is right for my family and I. No love lost for anybody over there. Like I said, due to COVID and what we're going through with the pandemic, hopefully we can make it to Week 14 because if we do, it's gonna be a good one."

Bell and Adams had a Twitter spat after the Jets running back criticized Adams for forcing his way out of New York a year after recruiting him to the team.

The Jets are scheduled to play the Seattle Seahawks, Adams' new team, in Week 14.

The Jets traded Adams and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Seahawks in exchange for two first-round picks (2021, 2022), a 2021 third-round selection and safety Bradley McDougald. The blockbuster deal came a day after Adams ripped Jets coach Adam Gase and general manager Joe Douglas in an interview with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Adams accused Douglas of lying about promising him a new contract this offseason and said Gase lacked leadership skills. Douglas has denied misleading Adams or making any promises.

While the deal could be an instance where both teams win the trade, it's unlikely Adams made many friends on his way out the door. Don't be surprised if Gase wants quarterback Sam Darnold to challenge him over the top a couple of times in the teams' matchup.

Even though New York Jets head coach Adam Gase has faced some criticism as of late, he has the support of franchise quarterback Sam Darnold. 

"He's the right leader for this team for sure," Darnold said Tuesday, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

This reassurance on Gase came after questions following the trade that sent All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks. 

"I don't feel like he's the right leader for this organization to reach the Promised Land," Adams said of Gase, per Mehta.

The Jets finished 7-9 in their first season under Gase, who also went 23-25 in three years with the Miami Dolphins. New York hasn't made the playoffs since 2010.

Jamal Adams didn't want to be a Jet anymore, so Adam Gase didn't want him there either.

"We want guys that want to be here and he didn't want to be here anymore," Gase told reporters Tuesday.

The Jets traded Adams and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for first-round picks in 2021 and 2022, a 2021 third-round selection and safety Bradley McDougald on Saturday. Gase said no players contacted him after the trade to express their feelings.

The trade came a day after Adams ripped Gase and general manager Joe Douglas in an interview with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. 

"I don't feel like he's the right leader for this organization to reach the Promised Land," Adams said of Gase. "As a leader, what really bothers me is that he doesn't have a relationship with everybody in the building.

At the end of the day, he doesn’t address the team. If there’s a problem in the locker room, he lets another coach address the team. If we’re playing sh--ty and we’re losing, he doesn’t address the entire team as a group at halftime. He’ll walk out of the locker room and let another coach handle it.”

Adams also claimed Douglas lied to him and told him the team would give him a long-term contract extension this offseason. Douglas has since denied making any promises regarding Adams' contract.

Heading into his second season with the Jets, Gase has a history of struggling with communication with his players. Gase clashed with several players during his time with the Miami Dolphins, most notably wideout Jarvis Landry. One of the first major storylines in New York after Gase took the Jets job was a power struggle with general manager Mike Maccagnan, who subsequently resigned.

While Gase is known around the league as a talented quarterback developer, he's going to need to win soon in New York to avoid the hot seat given the number of waves he's created. 

Linebacker Jadeveon Clowney apparently wants to reunite with safety Bradley McDougald. 

McDougald said Clowney wants the New York Jets to "come get him" in free agency:

McDougald is now a member of the Jets after the Seattle Seahawks traded him, a 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 third-rounder and a 2022 first-rounder for safety Jamal Adams and a 2022 fourth-round pick.

He played with Clowney in Seattle in 2019 and surely recognizes what a boost the pass-rusher could provide New York's defense. The three-time Pro Bowler could anchor the pass rush alongside Jordan Jenkins and help make up for the loss of Adams, who was second on the Jets with 6.5 sacks in 2019.

New York hasn't made the playoffs since 2010, but Clowney is someone who could help it change that if he remains healthy and plays up to his potential in 2020.

Now all he needs is the Jets to come get him.

Former New York Jets safety Jamal Adams, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, ripped Jets head coach Adam Gase prior to the trade, but general manager Joe Douglas believes Gase is the right person for the job. 

"I especially believe in Coach Gase," Douglas said, even though the Jets went 7-9 in the coach's first season at the helm, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. "I believe he's the right coach to lead this team. I feel really good about where we are with him and his leadership."

Douglas' comments come after Adams said he did not think Gase is someone who could direct the Jets to a Super Bowl title, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News:

"I don't feel like he's the right leader for this organization to reach the Promised Land. As a leader, what really bothers me is that he doesn't have a relationship with everybody in the building.

"At the end of the day, he doesn't address the team. If there's a problem in the locker room, he lets another coach address the team. If we're playing s--tty and we're losing, he doesn't address the entire team as a group at halftime. He'll walk out of the locker room and let another coach handle it."

Gase benched Adams toward the end of the Jets' Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns, which prompted the safety to distance himself from the team on social media:

What followed was discontent and trade requests, and the Jets eventually moved him along with a 2022 fourth-round pick to Seattle for safety Bradley McDougald, a 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 third-rounder and a 2022 first-rounder.

That was a hefty price for Seattle to pay, but Adams is also 24 years old and coming off two straight Pro Bowl seasons and an All-Pro selection. He tallied 115 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery in 2018 before following up with 75 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and two defensive touchdowns in 2019.

As for Gase, he has struggled to find his form as a head coach since he led the Miami Dolphins to a 10-6 record in his first year at the helm in 2016. He was just 6-10 in his second season and 7-9 in his third year with the Dolphins before they fired him.

He will look to turn things around in his second season with the Jets without his team's former star safety.