New York Jets Top Veteran Player Isn't Who Everyone Expected

The New York Jets have a couple of prolific veteran players and the one considered their best may be a surprise.

Nov 19, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA;New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) warms up before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets have a couple of talented veterans, but the one considered their best may be a surprise to some.

As 33rd Team's Jeff Diamond put together a list of the best NFL players over the age of 30, it wasn't the multi-time MVP winner Aaron Rodgers represented New York on the list. Rather, it was linebacker C.J. Mosley.

Mosley certainly earned the right to be one the list, coming in at No. 16, as he's been a top linebacker in the league for years now. He was the second highest off-ball linebacker, falling a couple of spots behind Washington Commanders veteran Bobby Wagner.

The Jets star has finished with over 150 tackles over the past three seasons, showing few signs of slowing down.

He's actually been going in the opposite direction of slowing down, with Pro Football Focus actually grading his 2023 season as the best of his career with a 82.9 grade.

One of the areas that he's shown the biggest improvement in is his coverage. The last two campaigns have garnered the most passes broken up, despite being targeted at about the same rate.

Across his nine-year career, he's accrued 1,066 tackles. He's made five All-Pro teams and made the same amount of Pro Bowls.

He's a part of one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL with Quincy Williams, who some believe to be even better.

The 32-year-old being named one of the best players in the league over the age of 30 isn't the surprising part, it's that he was the only one on the team to earn the honor.

Of course, the face of the Jets franchise, Aaron Rodgers would normally be expected to make these types of lists as arguably one of the best to play the quarterback position.

Two quarterbacks did make the list over him, Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott.

While it may seem a bit shocking on the surface, it does make some sense. He missed all of last season with his injury and his last healthy season wasn't exactly elite.

No one really knows how his year will turn out, so the 39-year-old will have to prove himself once again.

Of the other nine players over the age of 30 on the roster, newly-acquired Tyron Smith has the best argument to be considered.

He finished with a top-ten offensive grade from PFF, proving to still be an elite pass blocker. He finished above Philadelphia Eagles tackle Lane Johnson, who came in at No. 13 on Diamond's list.

Expectations are high for the team as a whole, but some veterans can use their rankings (or lack thereof) as an extra chip on their shoulder as they prepare for games to start.