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An already interesting Jets offseason took a stunning turn on Friday, with the news veteran left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson has decided to retire. The move gives the Jets some needed salary-cap space, but leaves a gaping hole on the offensive line.
Ferguson, 32, has been a stalwart for the Jets for 10 years, showing remarkable durability and consistency while guarding various Jets quarterbacks. Ferguson never missed a snap due to injury, never missed a practice and never appeared on the injury report — a remarkable Iron Man run. He played 167 straight games, including the postseason.
No official announcement had been made by the Jets or Ferguson as of Friday night, but multiple sources confirmed Ferguson decided this week to retire.
The decision comes a week after the Jets spoke to Ferguson about taking a paycut in order to give them some salary-cap relief, but sources said that was not the deciding factor in his decision to walk away. Retirement had been a consideration all offseason for Ferguson, sources said, as he told people he did not want to keep playing if he could not meet the standards he had set in his career.
The Jets selected Ferguson with the No. 4-overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He went to three Pro Bowls and was a core member of the Jets teams that went to back-to-back AFC title games in 2009-10.
Ferguson’s play diminished in recent years, and he had a difficult 2015 season. He was scheduled to count $14.1 million against the salary cap this year, which both sides knew needed to be addressed. Sources said Ferguson was not surprised by the Jets’ desire to cut his pay.
Last week, according to a source, team officials approached Ferguson at the Jets’ Florham Park facility and informally told him they would need him to take a paycut in order to get cap space to make moves, including signing free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. A source said there never were any formal negotiations, though, and numbers never were exchanged.
Ferguson’s retirement creates nearly $9.1 million in salary-cap space for the Jets, which will help in negotiations with Fitzpatrick and in signing their draft picks in a few weeks. The team had just over $500,000 in cap space, the lowest in the NFL, before Ferguson’s decision.
The Jets now have to figure out how to replace Ferguson. A source said the Jets were not caught off guard by Ferguson’s decision and have contingency plans in the works. The Jets could draft a tackle in three weeks or sign or trade for a veteran. Broncos tackle Ryan Clady has been mentioned on the trade block, but the Jets might wait to see if the Broncos cut him instead of trading for him.
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