Why Jets' Linebacker Needs Aren't as Dire as Fans May Think

The Jets might not be desperate for LB help after all. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

If a straw poll were to be taken by Jets fans across the country on the one position they were most concerned about heading into organized team activities (OTAs) this year, the answer would be unanimous:

Linebacker.

It's all anyone in the fanbase is truly worried about after an offseason of significant change to the roster on each side of the ball. Sure, the Jets' kicking situation isn't exactly solidified, but the organization's history with the position suggests they'll be fine in the end.

Linebacker, though, remains an area of concern, even after the team poured resources into that very position this offseason.

Is it truly an area that will bite the team come Week 1? Or is the fanbase worrying about nothing at this point in the offseason?

Today, we tackle that very question.

Jets's linebacker concern

Much of the concern centered around the Jets' linebacker room stems from the down year of 26-year-old Jamien Sherwood last season. After signing a three-year, $45 million contract, the Auburn product struggled mightily in pass coverage under the weight of new responsibilities.

The concern is that Sherwood won't be able to get back to the player who was once considered an up-and-coming star at the position, especially one worthy of being paid as a top-five player at the position.

Had Sherwood played well last season, this conversation wouldn't be under the same weight.

Chances are that Jets fans wouldn't be worried about the LB room if Jamien Sherwood had a better 2025 performance. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

But the Jets have done work this offseason to ensure their 2026 defense won't hinge on Sherwood's shoulders. The signing of 37-year-old Demario Davis was a way to bring another leader into the linebacker room to take some of that pressure off Sherwood and give him another player he can trust on the field.

"This is my third time around, but this time I come back very different, very purposeful, very clear on vision, on who I am," Davis said when he first signed back with the team in March. "This wasn't a happenstance situation. This was a choice, knowing who I am and what I am called to be. I know what I'm stepping into this time around. I know what I'm bringing into a locker room. I know I play the game at an elite level. I know every year I'm trying to play better than the prior year."

Together, Davis and Sherwood are being paid over $25 million to help turn around a Jets defense that was second-worst in the league in points allowed and became the first team in NFL history not to record an interception during the year.

And while it's easy to speculate if Sherwood can ever be the player he once was, it's also fair to point out that the Jets' scheme in 2026 will match more with what the linebacker does well—stopping the run and blitzing.

The pressure is certainly on Sherwood, but New York's starting linebackers are nowhere near the kind of problem fans want to make them out to be.

What about depth?

Outside of Sherwood's questionable development last season, the depth behind both Davis and the team's former captain is another concern.

Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Mykal Walker, Kiko Mauigoa, and Kobe King are going to be listed as backups behind Davis and Sherwood. While Walker and Mauigoa both had quality moments in 2025, the group leaves a lot to be desired in terms of depth.

The fact that Davis 37 years old also scares fans. What happens if Father Time comes to claim the last bit of productive ball that the veteran linebacker has? Where will the Jets go then?

The answer to that question, though, is rather simple.

Will Demario Davis live up to the Jets' expectations? Or will Father Time claim another victim? | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Why does the team have to be concerned about that just yet? There are several veteran linebackers available on the open market, including former All-Pros like Matt Milano, Bobby Wagner, and Lavonte David. Even former New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke is looking for a new team.

New York is not in a desperate position to need to sign one of those players just yet, no matter how panicked some fans are. With plenty of veteran names still available, the Jets can wait to see which players stand out at the position. If none do, they will most assuredly target the room in free agency or through trades before Week 1.

It's what the team did at defensive tackle last year when they acquired Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips. That should leave people far less concerned about the linebacker room heading into OTAs.

It's simply not the time to panic about anything just yet.