He comes off a season in which he put up career statistics. University of Auburn defender Jamien Sherwood was a fifth-round pick in 2021. He played in only five games as a rookie and made four starts. In his first three seasons, he was only in the opening lineup a combined seven times.
However, 2024 proved to be a breakout year for the productive linebacker. Sherwood played in all 17 contests and made 16 starts. He easily led the team with 154 tackles. and add four more stops on special teams. There were also a pair of sacks and three passes defensed. The Jets gave up the third-fewest total yards in the league this past season.
He is set to enter free agency next week, as is Seahawks’ linebacker Ernest Jones IV, a Super Bowl LVI champion as a rookie with the Rams in 2021. He was dealt by Los Angeles to Tennessee last offseason, then traded to Seattle in the midst of ’24. When it was all said and done, the ‘Hawks wound up improving greatly on defense from the previous season, and Joned played a pivotal role in that surge.
Now it’s 2025, and there could be some changes for both New York and Seattle. Jon Santucci of USA Today Florida Network had an interesting scenarios involving the Jets’ top tackler this past season. “Ernest Jones is coming off an outstanding season for the Seahawks, but is set to hit free agency. If he chooses to leave, Seattle could quickly pivot to Sherwood who would be a more than adequate replacement.”
It makes sense, and according to the numbers, Sherwood would be an upgrade. He’s Pro Football Focus’ 18th-ranked linebacker, while Jones sits at No. 54. The latter was a big factor in the team making strides in run defense after his arrival, however Sherwood actually owns a better grade in this area (77.1) than Jones (73.6).
The Seahawks were busy on Tuesday releasing players to open up more cap room. If they don’t opt to or can't re-sign Jones, Sherwood would be a very worthwhile option.
