From an underrated player on an elite defense, to a full-time starter, to captaincy, and now to his future being clouded.

The path Jamien Sherwood has taken with the New York Jets has been quite the roller coaster. Originally a fifth-round pick out of Auburn, the former safety-turned-linebacker grew into one of the top up-and-coming players at his position.

But after a contract extension that paid him among the best linebackers in the league, Sherwood delivered arguably his worst season as a pro. He was benched during the season for undisclosed reasons and struggled mightily in pass coverage, once a strength for the athletic veteran.

Now, the organization is at a point of no return with Sherwood. His contract makes it hard for the Jets to do anything but hope for a rebound.

Sherwood is safe in Jets’ linebacker room

Sherwood’s numbers were not completely bad in 2025. He posted an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 65.6, placing 29th out of 64 qualified linebackers (min. 500 snaps). The 26-year-old put up good numbers as a run defender and blitzer.

However, Sherwood’s coverage was a major liability. His 46.1 coverage grade at PFF ranked 48th out of 64 linebackers, and his 562 yards allowed ranked 56th.

Those are highly disappointing numbers for a player making $15 million per year, tied for the fifth-highest salary among linebackers.

New York can’t exactly get out of Sherwood’s contract. Over $15 million is guaranteed to him in 2026, and he carries a dead cap charge of $25 million should the Jets look to release him before June 1. A post-June 1 release lowers that dead money to $17 million, but there are no cap savings for the franchise in either scenario.

Things change in 2027, though. A pre-June 1 Sherwood release would clear $11.5 million in cap space with a $7.5 million dead charge.

The Jets will not be able to escape Sherwood’s contract until after the 2026 season. It means New York will give the 26-year-old a chance to bounce back under a revamped coaching staff, featuring a new linebackers coach, Ben Bolling.

Many Jets players will be under the microscope in 2026 following a disastrous 3-14 campaign. Perhaps no one will be under more pressure than Sherwood, though.

He originally earned his contract extension through his athleticism, dependability, and all-around play. The 2025 season didn’t showcase his best qualities. If he can’t bounce back in a major way, 2026 may be his final year in a Jets jersey.