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Jamien Sherwood represents a rare exception on the Jets roster.
The type of exception that would be beneficial to retain on the team, not lose to another.
On a squad filled with underachievers, Sherwood, a former fifth-round pick, has developed beyond most expectations as an overachiever and into a valuable starter in the middle of the Jets defense despite his low draft stature.
And on Friday, he was voted by his teammates as this year’s team MVP.
“For me, it was just about showing everyone that I could do it,” Sherwood said after practice Friday. “A lot of people think I am undersized or just didn’t think I was the right fit for the job. I went out there every week, showed it to the best of my ability, and ultimately, it looks bright for me going forward.”
Yes, that someone as unheralded as Sherwood was the best option for team MVP can be viewed as an indictment of the Jets’ supposed stars — like Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Williams, Breece Hall, Davante Adams, Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner — and how poorly they’ve performed this year.
Surely, most would have preferred one of those previous names to be a worthy recipient, and that none was is a troubling sign of just how badly they fell below expectations.
But that shouldn’t discredit Sherwood’s breakout season.
Entering the year as a backup, Sherwood quickly took over as a starter at inside linebacker due to C.J. Mosley’s injury and capitalized on his opportunity.
Sherwood, who played safety in college but has converted to a linebacker with the Jets, has started 15 games this year and has recorded an NFL-high 95 solo tackles.
He has 152 total tackles — third-most in the league — and 10 tackles for loss.
Pro Football Focus gives him a 74.5 overall grade, tied for 13th-best among all linebackers in the league.
He had not recorded more than 28 solo tackles, 46 total tackles or three tackles for loss in any of his previous three seasons.
It’s now provided the Jets with a tough decision, though.
After Sunday’s season finale against the Dolphins, Sherwood will soon become a free agent after four seasons with the team.
“Just unbelievable,” Ulbrich said Friday of Sherwood. “For a guy that wasn’t the starter coming into the season, the way he responded, first of all, to the adversity of losing C.J. and stepping into very big shoes and then to play as well as he did, it’s a surprise because he had never done it, but it’s not a surprise because of the way this guy works and operates on a daily basis. You’d be hard-pressed to find a harder worker, not only in this building but any building in the NFL.
“A guy that’s taken himself from a late-round safety convert to a legitimate linebacker in this league. I’m just so excited for the future for him because it’s really planted seeds across the league as a guy that everyone is going to want on their team. And he’s going to get rewarded for it. He deserves every penny that he’s going to get.”
Beyond his production, Sherwood has emerged as a leader this year in a locker room that badly lacks leadership.
He’s the type of character who can help uplift the culture around the Jets rather than one of the many who are currently dragging it down.
It’s certainly been noticed — by both his Jets teammates and potential suitors across the league.
“To be recognized by my teammates, peers, future Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers, All-Pro players, this means a lot to me,” Sherwood said. “I feel like not only my on-the-field play helped me win this award, but just the way I am amongst the locker room, amongst my teammates. Always trying to find some kind of energy, some kind of enthusiasm to boost everybody up. I really feel like the person who I am was able to help me.”
It will cost the Jets to bring Sherwood back, though.
And it’s unknown what a new general manager or head coach will think of him without seeing and working with him up close.
For his own part, does Sherwood want to return to the Jets?
“A lot,” Sherwood said. “This is where I started at, so obviously I would like to stay where I was welcomed into. They took a chance on me. This organization drafted me. That means everything to me. Whatever I can do to always give back, that’s important to me. Friendships go a long way — whatever my friends do for me, I would always want to do the same things for them.”
