Can Jamien Sherwood Bounce Back After Disastrous 2025 Season?

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- At this time last season, it seemed like New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood was on the precipice of stardom. The former safety turned linebacker had signed a three-year, $45 million extension in the offseason.

He was even named a captain following the departure of long-time leader C.J. Mosley. Fans hoped to see more of the same quality play from the former fourth-round pick.

Then it all came tumbling down. The pressures of a new contract and heavy leadership responsibilities weighed down Sherwood. He put forth a disappointing season in 2025, so much so that he was benched numerous times by the team in the midst of a 3-14 mark.

Now, Sherwood is back and hungry to prove last year was nothing more than an aberration. And his coaching staff can see just how much things have changed for the veteran.

"Any player that's self-aware and will critique themselves like that on a year-to-year basis is always good," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "Even when you have a down year, man, you try to look at the things that, like, what can I do to pick myself up."

But can Sherwood really bounce back in 2026? Is he truly worthy of the kind of contract that paid him like a top-five player at the position?

Sherwood is already taking necessary steps after down 2025 season

Based on his metrics, 2025 was not as much of a disaster as people make it out to be for Sherwood. His 65.7 Pro Football Focus grade put him 35th among linebackers, and he remained a top-15 run defender at the position.

It was in pass coverage, though, that Sherwood saw his steepest drop-off. Despite early years of success, his 46.1 grade ranked 66th out of 88 linebackers. Additionally, opposing quarterbacks held a passer rating of 125.1 when targeting Sherwood.

Getting back to being a good defender in coverage is of paramount importance moving forward, even if the veteran is taking a measured approach to the offseason.

There were areas where I need to improve, there were some good plays, there were some bad plays, Sherwood said. I just felt for myself. I definitely could be more consistent than I was. That's another thing that I do look for going into the season. That's just studying more, staying after practice more, and just being a better teammate.

Part of Sherwood's disappointing season is the large cap number tied to his name. His numbers would have been respectable for a player making his old salary AAV under $1 million.

Instead, Sherwood carries a cap hit of over $11 million this season. Next year that number balloons up to $19 million.

There's no easy way out for the Jets with the Sherwood contract. That's why both the player and the team need a bounce-back this year.

And the team has provided help in that regard.

All-Pro help on the way for Sherwood, Jets

When Sherwood was at his best over the last few years, he had one of the better leaders in football whispering in his ear the whole time. While Mosley never reached the kind of stardom usually accustomed to a five-time Pro Bowler, the veteran was a key part of Sherwood's development early in his career.

Without Mosley last season, Sherwood struggled both on the field and off it as a leader. His play dipped as part of that.

To fix that, the Jets brought in a familiar face: 37-year-old former All-Pro Demario Davis. Now, Sherwood has a player he can rely on to help command the defensive huddle and not put much pressure on himself.

I think with Demario (Davis) being next to him, that's going to help him out a lot because he's still a young player, Glenn said. He is a player that came from being a safety to being a linebacker, so having somebody that's been in this league for a long time as Demario, sitting right beside him, it could only help him.

Sherwood acknowledged to Jets on SI that the differences between Mosley and Davis were stark. They played and led the huddle differently. But the importance of both could not be overlooked.

Especially for Sherwood.

I'll say the only thing I could say from last year -- we were a pretty young team -- so when there were times where I felt like I did need someone to lean on or felt like I needed a little bit more knowledge of something, he said. I feel like for the last few weeks of OTAs and the offseason, like he's been there, and I'll say you can feel his presence and it's beneficial for everybody on the team, not just myself.

New York needs Sherwood at his best this season. They are taking away some of the responsibilities that appeared too much for him last season. If he can get back to being the player he was two years ago, the Jets will be a different team on defense.

Anything less, and it puts the team in an even harder position going forward.

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