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Alabama Legend CJ Mosley Announces Major Career Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 1:13 PM ET

The Alabama Crimson Tide defense in the 2011 season was a dominant force.

Alabama held opponents to 8.3 points, 111.5 passing yards and 72.2 rushing yards per game that year. One of the members of that star-studded defense was linebacker CJ Mosley.

On Thursday, CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported that Mosley had decided to retire from football.

Mosley played for Alabama from 2010-13, taking home multiple All-American selections (2012-13), the Butkus Award (2013) and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2013).

The linebacker accounted for 317 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and five interceptions during his time at Alabama.

After a fruitful college career, Mosley took his talents to the NFL. He was drafted 17th overall by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2014 NFL Draft.

He got off to a hot start in the NFL with the Ravens, making the Pro Bowl in four of the five seasons he spent with the franchise. He was also a four-time All-Pro with the Ravens and won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014.

Mosley spent 2014-18 with the team before becoming a member of the New York Jets in 2019. His first season with his new team did not go as planned, as he only played in two games because of a groin injury.

He then opted out of the 2020 NFL season. However, he returned in 2021 and made a significant contribution on defense. He followed up the 2021 season by making the Pro Bowl in 2022.

The injury issues resurfaced last season, with Mosley missing 13 games due to a neck injury and losing the starting job at middle linebacker.

Mosley recorded 1,083 total tackles, 55 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 12 interceptions and 10 forced fumbles.

Alabama is now led by head coach Kalen DeBoer, who went 9-4 in his first season with the program. The Crimson Tide has recruited well under DeBoer, with the head coach holding the No. 10 overall 2026 recruiting class on On3 Sports.

Recent recruiting news for Alabama includes the commitment date for target Deacon Schmitt, and the Crimson Tide was also named a finalist for edge rusher Khamari Brooks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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