C.J. Mosley is ready to tackle life beyond playing football.
A five-time Pro Bowl selection during an 11-year NFL career with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, Mosley announced Thursday, his 33rd birthday, that he's retiring.
Mosley was released by the Jets in March after playing in just four games last season because of a toe injury and later a herniated disk in his neck.
A popular playmaker and leader during his career, Mosley made his announcement with a 2-minute, 10-second video post on his Instagram page titled “Once upon a time ...” that included highlights of his playing career.
“Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation,” Mosley said. "I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it's time to start a new chapter with new dreams. It won't be easy, but I'm here to tell you every sacrifice is worth it.
“When you wake up, what will your legacy look like?”
Mosley, the 17th overall pick by Baltimore in the 2014 draft out of Alabama, had nearly 1,100 tackles with 12 sacks, 12 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and three touchdowns.
He played five standout seasons with the Ravens before signing a five-year, $85 million contract with the Jets in 2019 and was the heartbeat of New York’s defense during his tenure as one of the NFL’s top tacklers.
Both the Jets and Ravens posted congratulatory messages for Mosley on social media.
“Captain! Thankful for the memories we couldn’t have asked for a better leader!” former Jets teammate and current Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers commented on Mosley's post.
“Half-Man Half-Amazing congrats on a great career bro,” former Ravens teammate and current Baltimore assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine wrote.
Mosley, who is from Theodore, Alabama, was rated as one of the top high school linebackers in the country before heading to Tuscaloosa to play for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide after getting offers from several top football programs.
He made a quick impact in college, earning Freshman All-American honors, and helped Alabama win consecutive BCS national championships during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Mosley also was selected the SEC defensive player of the year and won the Butkus Award in 2013 as college football's top linebacker.
Mosley became the first Ravens player voted to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He made the Pro Bowl three more times before leaving for New York and signing what was then the largest free agent deal for an inside linebacker.
Mosley had an impressive debut with the Jets with five tackles and returned an interception by Josh Allen for a touchdown against the Bills, but he injured his groin in the third quarter and played in just one more game that season.
He opted out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but returned the following season and reestablished himself as a consistent playmaker who routinely was among the NFL leaders in tackles while playing in all but one game during the next three years. Mosley, who made his final Pro Bowl in 2022, was voted a team captain during each season he played in New York.
Mosley also was praised by then-coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in 2021 when the linebacker remade his body by slimming down from 250 pounds to 231 to be more mobile in New York’s faster sideline-to-sideline defense.
He was limited to just four games last season by his toe and neck injuries, but said in January he didn't anticipate not playing again.
“My main goal is just to really get back to 100% so I can work out and run and do everything I need to, then just take it from there,” Mosley said. “I mean,'I don’t have any thoughts about retiring or anything. So my main focus is just to make sure I’m 100% on the field and off the field.”
Jamien Sherwood, who replaced Mosley last season when the veteran was injured, led the Jets in tackles and was re-signed to a three-year, $45 million contract in the offseason — signaling an end to Mosley's time in New York.
“C.J. was the epitome of a class act as a teammate, player and leader for the last six seasons,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement when Mosley was released.
Sherwood said last week during the Jets' minicamp that he stays in close contact with Mosley, who lives close to his former teammate.
“We always get our hair done together,” Sherwood said with a smile. "So whenever the hair lady comes to town, we get our hair done. I actually just texted him just to check up on him because, again, without him, this process for me would not be possible.
“From the day I got here, he just poured into us. He let us know everything and I miss having him in the room. It’s definitely a hole in the wall without him. ... He’s my brother from another mother. And, you know, I love him.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Dennis Waszak Jr., The Associated Press
