In an ideal world, C.J. Mosley is owed some issues. Staff success. Playoff video games. Possibly even a championship.
The rock of a linebacker in the midst of the Jets protection does the whole lot the appropriate approach. He’s a mannequin of consistency.
He’s the unquestioned chief of a protection that ranked third within the NFL final season and was fourth in 2022.
He’s a constant tackling machine, having amassed 478 of them prior to now three seasons, throughout which he’s missed just one sport.
Soccer has given Mosley a terrific life, made him extra money than he and his household might ever want.
However Mosley, for all of the issues he has, lacks workforce success with the Jets. He final performed a postseason sport with the Ravens in 2018 and has performed in solely three of them in his profession.
There may not be a participant on the Jets hungrier to win than Mosley. And there’s undoubtedly not a participant extra deserving of tasting the nectar of workforce success than him.
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In a post-practice sit-down with The Submit this week, Mosley conceded he goals about profitable a championship with the Jets “each single day.’’
And, with a wholesome Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, some tantalizing skill-position gamers reminiscent of receiver Garrett Wilson and working again Breece Corridor and many of the gamers from the third-ranked protection again, Mosley can’t assist however consider his time is now.
And will the Jets lastly attain the Promised Land, the place Joe Namath was the final to stroll, Mosley is aware of precisely what he’s going to do.
Indulge in being a champion.
“The final time I held up a trophy was 2013 once I was at Alabama and we beat Notre Dame in Miami, and one factor I at all times regretted was, after that sport, not having fun with that second,’’ Mosley mentioned. “As a result of with coach [Nick] Saban, the best way it was arrange was at all times, ‘What’s subsequent?’
“So, after we win with the New York Jets, after the sport I’m undoubtedly going to permit myself to get pleasure from it.’’
Mosley mentioned the Tremendous Bowl is on his thoughts on daily basis he involves work on the Jets’ observe facility, as a result of the Tremendous Bowl III trophy sits on show simply contained in the entrance door.
“What’s cool is as soon as Aaron acquired right here, individuals — primarily him — weren’t afraid to speak in regards to the Tremendous Bowl, like saying it loud, prefer it’s a factor and we will do it,’’ Mosley mentioned.
Mosley recalled seeing a social media video of Rodgers at a Taylor Swift live performance with confetti raining down at MetLife Stadium and saying, “I can’t wait to see this on the Tremendous Bowl.’’
“That gave me chills,’’ Mosley mentioned. “You envision that. When he mentioned that, I used to be like, ‘Yeah, I see it and I really feel it.’ ’’
Mosley, in a distinct, quieter approach of main than Rodgers, has joined forces with the uber-confident quarterback in attempting to persuade the gamers round them that that is attainable.
“I like C.J. — he’s a professional’s professional,’’ Rodgers mentioned. “He goes about it the appropriate approach. He doesn’t say a complete lot, however when he does everyone sorts of perks up. He jogs my memory of Julius Peppers [the linebacker/edge rusher who Rodgers played with in Green Bay]. And Julius goes to the Corridor of Fame. Julius type of led by instance. “The play type is at all times the identical with C.J. He’s robust, he’s bodily, he’s athletic, he’s sensible. He simply has that lead-by-example [way about him], which you admire. You at all times know what you’re going to get with him.’’
You root for gamers like Mosley, who do the whole lot the appropriate approach, to get what you consider they deserve. Mosley, although, could be very pragmatic about life and doesn’t purchase into the thought that he’s owed something by the sport.
“Not on this sport,’’ Mosley mentioned. “You’ve nonetheless acquired to earn it each single day.’’
Mosley mentioned “now and again’’ a poster of the 2019 Jets, his first 12 months with the workforce, “pops up’’ on his social media feed and it reminds him about how rapidly issues change within the NFL.
“It exhibits how I’m the one one nonetheless left,’’ he mentioned.
It, too, is a reminder of how troublesome his Jets journey was at first.
There was the extreme groin damage he suffered in his first sport with the workforce after signing a five-year $85 million contract. Mosley had a pick-six and a fumble restoration in that sport earlier than the damage wrecked the remainder of his season.
Then there was the COVID-19 12 months in 2020, throughout which Mosley opted out for the security of his household.
Adam Gase, the Jets head coach when Mosley was signed, was fired after 2020 and changed by Robert Saleh.
“For any athlete, when you signal a contract, a giant contract, the 2 stuff you don’t wish to cope with are accidents and training adjustments, and that occurred my first two years … plus COVID,’’ Mosley mentioned. “So, trying again on it, it wasn’t meant to be at the moment.’’
He believes it’s meant to be now.
“We’re at some extent now, collectively as a workforce, that this can be a playoff workforce,’’ Mosley mentioned. “However we simply can’t say that. We’ve to go on the market and execute it.’’
And earn it, which is the Mosley approach.
