The New York Jets received a major blow on Thursday with the announcement that defensive end Carl Lawson of Alpharetta, Georgia will miss the entire 2021 National Football League season with a ruptured Achilles. Lawson had played the last four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, before signing a three-year contract worth $45 million with the Jets on March 18.
The Lawson signing by the Jets was tied for the second largest contract signed by a defensive player in the NFL at the beginning of 2021 free agency. Lawson was tied with cornerback Shaquill Griffin of St. Petersburg, Florida, who signed a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars after playing last season with the Seattle Seahawks, and defensive end Trey Hendrickson of Orlando, Florida, who signed a four-year deal worth $60 million with the Bengals after playing last season with the New Orleans Saints. The only defensive player that signed a larger contract than Lawson at the start of free agency was outside linebacker Bud Dupree of Macon, Georgia, who signed a three-year deal worth $49.5 million, with the Tennessee Titans after playing last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Last season Lawson started 11 of 16 games, and had 5.5 sacks, 36 combined tackles (18 solo tackles and 18 assisted tackles), 32 quarterback hits, four tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles. The forced fumbles came with Cincinnati against Pennsylvania opponents. The first forced fumble came in a 23-23 Bengals tie with the Philadelphia Eagles (the only tie in the 2020 NFL season on September 27, 2020), and the second forced fumble came in a 27-17 Bengals upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 21, 2020.
Over four NFL seasons, Lawson has played in 51 games and started 14. He has 81 combined tackles (49 solo tackles and 32 assisted tackles), 19 tackles for a loss, 83 quarterback hits, 20 sacks and two forced fumbles.
