Lorenzo Mauldin‘s season has likely ended before it could even start. The linebacker was informed today that he will likely need back surgery, coach Todd Bowles told reporters. 

Mauldin was placed on injured reserve before the season opener and, at the time, there was some hope that he could return from IR. Unfortunately, that won’t be possible after he undergoes a major operation.

The Jets selected Mauldin in the third round of the 2015 draft. Although he has been a regular on defense, nagging injuries limited his production over the last two seasons. He was on the field for 34% of the Jets’ defensive plays last year, a step up from his playing time as a rookie, but he missed five games and appeared to regress. He drew subpar ranking from Pro Football Focus for the second straight year, as the outlet placed him 80th in performance among 110 qualified edge defenders.

When Mauldin returns to action in 2018, he may face league discipline for an off-the-field incident.

Jets outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin was arrested on an assault charge in June, but it may be injury issues – not off-field troubles – that lead to his ouster from their roster, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday. Mauldin has dealt with a back injury this summer, one likely to keep him out of the Jets’ preseason game against the Giants on Saturday, while fellow OLBs Freddie Bishop, Dylan Donahue and Josh Martin have perhaps done enough to justify roster spots over the past month.

Moving on from the 24-year-old Mauldin would mean abandoning hope on a recent high draft pick. The Jets chose Mauldin in the third round (No. 82 overall) in 2015, a class that included other disappointments in wide receiver Devin Smith (second round) and quarterback Bryce Petty (fourth round).

Mauldin has totaled 6.5 sacks across 26 games with the Jets. The majority of those sacks (four) came during Mauldin’s 15-game rookie season, though he only played 24 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps that year. His on-field action increased last season (34 percent of defensive plays), but he missed five games and saw his production go backward. Mauldin also drew a subpar ranking from Pro Football Focus for the second straight year, as the outlet placed him 80th in performance among 110 qualified edge defenders.

Regardless of whether he plays this year with the Jets or another team, Mauldin is unlikely to face NFL-imposed discipline for his arrest until the 2018 season. He’s accused of punching a man in a New York nightclub in early April, and he allegedly broke several bones in the man’s face.

Jets linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin turned himself into Manhattan authorities after being charged with misdemeanor assault stemming from an incident in a New York club in early April, according to a report from TMZ.

Jean Lopez accuses Mauldin of punching him after he spilled champagne on the Gang Green defender, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Lopez, who claims to have suffered several broken bones in his face, also filed a civil suit against Mauldin earlier this month. Both Mauldin and his lawyer have denied the charges, but Mauldin could face up to a year in prison if convicted.

Mauldin, a third-round pick in 2015, could be subject to a league-imposed suspension (even if he’s not found guilty of assault). The 24-year-old hasn’t registered much production thus far in his NFL career, as he’s managed only 6.5 sacks as a backup in two seasons. Mauldin is signed through the 2018 campaign with cap charges below $900K in each season.

A man is accusing Jets outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin of attacking him at a New York-area nightclub earlier this year, according to Larry Celona, Paul Schwartz and Bruce Golding of the New York Post.

The alleged attack occurred on the morning of April 2, and the man, 22-year-old Jean Lopez, has filed a lawsuit against Mauldin and another man he attests was responsible for the attack. The suit alleges Mauldin attacked Lopez after the victim spilled champagne on the linebacker. Lopez, whom the Post reports stands 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds, underwent facial surgery to repair multiple fractures. The 24-year-old Mauldin, who was a third-round Jets pick in 2015, is 6-4 and weighs 259 pounds.

The Jets are aware of the situation, the Post reports. Mauldin has started four games for the Jets during his two-season tenure.

Lopez’s lawyer, Glenn Race, said Mauldin punched Lopez “without provocation.” Lopez said he was punched twice during the attack. No charges were filed at the time after Lopez couldn’t identify the attacker, the Post reports, adding that Mauldin’s lawyer said this suit is “without merit.”

“Another individual struck the plaintiff,” defense attorney Mitchell Schuster told the Post, “and that will be borne out by the witnesses and other parties involved. We have a very strong case and I look forward to pursuing it. Lorenzo’s anxious to being exonerated. He was not involved.”