The Jets’ salary-shedding spree looks to be continuing with Erin Henderson. The team will not pick up the linebacker’s 2017 option, Darryl Slater of NJ.com reports.
Henderson signed a two-year deal in 2016, but that pact did not contain any guaranteed money for ’17. Henderson missed 11 games last season, landing on the non-football injury list in October. The Jets will save $2.75MM in cap space by making this move. The former Vikings UDFA success story was due a $250K roster bonus on the first day of the 2017 league year, but the Jets are making this move early.
This continues Gang Green’s string of veteran cuts, with Henderson now joining Nick Mangold, Ryan Clady, Breno Giacomini and Nick Folk as free agents. Altogether, the Jets have added more than $29MM in cap room by making these moves. More could be coming when a decision on Darrelle Revis is made, but for now, the Jets are sitting on $19.2MM in space as the new league year nears.
Henderson spent two seasons with the Jets, spending 2015 as a backup but playing in all 16 games. Last season, he played in five and started four. The 30-year-old, though, landed on that NFI list for reasons that remain unknown. The Jets signed him to a one-year contract in 2015 but re-upped him for two a year later. However, the team selected Darron Lee in the first round last year. With David Harris also still under contract, Henderson became a potentially superfluous commodity, especially after the mysterious injury.