FLORHAM PARK, NJ – In a cost-cutting action on Tuesday, the New York Jets released veteran Henry Anderson, who started 24 games for them over the past three seasons.
By dropping Anderson, who carried a cap of $ 9.5 million, the Jets save $ 8.2 million – the amount of his non-guaranteed base salary. The remaining $ 1.3 million remains a “dead” charge.
This gives the Jets more than $ 75 million in cap space as they prepare for free agency.
Anderson, 29, was a key player in their rotation on the defensive line. In 2019 and ’20, he played more snaps (942) than any Jets lineman except Quinnen Williams. The Jets can absorb the loss because the line of defense is one of the few areas with a fixed depth.
The Jets made a smart trade to acquire Anderson during the 2018 draft and sent a seventh lap to the Indianapolis Colts. He thrived in New York and recorded a career high of seven sacks in the last year of his rookie contract.
Anderson turned his big year into a $ 25.2 million three-year contract, with $ 17 million in warranties over the first two years. Since the contract, his bag production has fallen dramatically – just 1.5 in the past 29 games. He played every game in 2020, finishing with 42 total tackles.
Anderson registered the third highest run-stuff percentage among defensive players with at least 500 snaps, according to NFL NextGen Stats.