C.J. Mosley Announces Retirement from the NFL on 33rd Birthday
Former Jets and Ravens Linebacker Ends Career with 5 Pro Bowls and Over 1,000 Tackles
Get your tissues ready, ladies because one of football’s fiercest defenders just hung up his cleats with the kind of grace and gratitude that gives us chills. C.J. Mosley, the heart and soul of every defense he anchored, announced his retirement on his 33rd birthday via a heartfelt Instagram video that felt less like a press release and more like a love letter to the game and life itself.
“Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation,” Mosley said, pairing his emotional words with a fierce list of career highlights. “Now it’s time to start a new chapter with new dreams.”
Cue the soft sniffles and standing ovation.
If you’ve been following Mosley…whether on-field or through those iconic game-day moments…you know he wasn’t just good. He was elite. Drafted 17th overall by the Ravens in 2014 under Nick Saban’s spotlight, he became the first Ravens rookie ever voted to the Pro Bowl, kicking off a streak that totaled five selections.
His journey wasn’t without its hurdles. After signing a massive five-year, $85 million contract with the Jets in 2019, injuries and even a COVID opt-out season tested his resilience. But Mosley came roaring back, racking up 168, 158, and 152 tackles over three consecutive seasons from 2021 to 2023 earning his fifth Pro Bowl nod and a second-team All-Pro selection in 2022.
Last season’s battles with toe and neck injuries limited him to just four games, and he eventually lost his spot to Jamien Sherwood. The Jets released him on March 12, 2025 as part of a broader roster move under new leadership. With no new team in sight, he made the heartfelt decision to retire.
Now, Mosley retires with nearly 1,100 career tackles, 12 sacks, 12 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, and three defensive touchdowns.
But retiring isn’t just stepping away. It’s choosing when to close one beautiful chapter, on his terms, and walk into another with purpose. As he poignantly asked in his video, “When you wake up, what will your legacy look like?”
We don’t know exactly what’s next; mentoring, community impact, or something beautifully unexpected but one thing’s clear: C.J. Mosley taught us that knowing when it’s time to pivot is just as powerful as pushing through. And that, truly, is something to admire.
So here’s to C.J. Mosley: the quiet leader, the thoughtful warrior, and the man who showed us the beauty in both holding on and letting go. We see you, CJ. And we’ll be cheering you on forever. 💚
Sources:
- C.J. Mosley retires from NFL months after Jets release – New York Post
- New York Jets Flight Connections 06/20/25 – Gang Green Nation
- Former Jets, Ravens LB C.J. Mosley retiring from NFL play – ESPN
- Jets release linebacker C.J. Mosley – CBS Sports
- Official retirement announcement – C.J. Mosley’s Instagram
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