Some of the New York Jets' more recent free-agent acquisitions haven't worked out as well as they hoped.
Now, the team can move from some of their aging contracts...with some dead money tied on the side.
New York voided the contracts of tackle Duane Brown, pass rusher Carl Lawson, defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson, and safety Jordan Whitehead. All four starters can test free agency immediately while incurring a dead cap hit of $15.8 million.
While they won't be able to hit free agency immediately, once the period opens up in under a month, the four players will have the chance to sign elsewhere this spring.
Brown, 38, is coming off a season in which he was penciled in to start at left tackle for New York. He managed to play in just five games with three starts due to a hip injury that kept him on IR for most of the year. Whitehead and Jefferson were quality starters for the Jets in 2023 (Whitehead recorded four interceptions while Jefferson tallied six sacks). Both could end up returning to New York this offseason if the money makes sense for both sides.
Lawson, on the other hand, struggled to get on the field this season due to a back injury he suffered in training camp. He was a healthy scratch the majority of the year despite his $9 million in yearly cash.
New York is looking for upgrades at each position the current voided players perform at so it's unlikely that most or all will be returning for the 2024 season.
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