Stay or Go: Should Jets bring Carl Lawson back for 2024 season?
The Jets signed defensive end Carl Lawson to a three-year, $45 million contract ahead of the 2021 season, but their plans for him were thrown into disarray when he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during training camp later that year. While he returned to action and had a good season in 2022, Lawson didn’t play much in 2023, as the Jets seemed content to move on from him.
However, Robert Saleh likes to have a deep defensive end rotation, so perhaps there is still a place for him on the team at the right price.
So, should the Jets bring Lawson back?
Why Lawson should be back
At his peak, Lawson was a quality pass rusher, who led the entire NFL in quarterback knockdowns in the season before he signed for the Jets. In 2022, the Jets got to see him at something like his best as he racked up seven sacks. In 2023, he barely got a chance to play as he began the season in a reserve role after having been limited by a back injury, so he may have still been capable of that kind of production, but simply never got the chance to get into game shape.
Had Lawson been on another team, he likely would have been able to get more playing time and might have found his rhythm sooner. However, the Jets have a deep rotation and obviously had an eye on the future as Jermaine Johnson and Bryce Huff both established themselves as worthy of a bigger role and the team also had to find reps for rookie Will McDonald.
With Huff’s return uncertain, it’s possible that a spot might open up in the rotation for a veteran pass rusher. The Jets will therefore be looking for an affordable option and Lawson knows the system so he could be a potential candidate for this role.
Why Lawson shouldn’t be back
For the six games when Lawson was in the lineup last season, his statistical production was poor, especially for a player who was earning such a high salary. Lawson had just five tackles and didn’t record a single sack, quarterback hit or tackle for loss.
The rest of the time he was essentially a healthy scratch, although his back issues at the start of the season likely meant he never got fully up to speed.
Although he was able to have a productive season in the year after his Achilles tear, the fact that Lawson wasn’t healthy in training camp or in game shape at the start of the season has to be a concern. He’s still only 28 but there may be a sense that he can’t be relied upon to get back to his best.
While Huff’s potential departure could open up a spot in the rotation, the expectation may be that McDonald will be ready to take on a bigger role in his second season, just as Johnson did. For that reason, Lawson might be reluctant to re-sign if there’s a chance he will end up in a minor role once again.
Verdict
It’s apparent that Lawson was expecting to play a bigger role with the 2023 Jets and the fact he spent most of it on the inactive list was frustrating to him. He seems intent on furthering his career, but that seems most likely to be with a new team.
The Jets also seemed intent to move on from Lawson and, even if they don’t bring Huff back, it seems unlikely that they would reconsider Lawson as an option to re-sign and put back into the rotation.
