New York Jets

Nick Mangold was caught 'off guard' by release from the Jets

Published Mar. 5, 2017 11:42 a.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

The New York Jets have made one thing clear in the past two weeks: pricey veterans aren’t going to make the cut if their production doesn’t match their pay. After cutting Darrelle Revis, the Jets also parted ways with center Nick Mangold and wideout Brandon Marshall.

All three were expensive players for the Jets whose production tapered off a bit in 2016 – some more so than others. For Mangold, his release was a bit more of a surprise than the other veterans. He was with his family in Disney when he received the news, turning himself into a meme to make light of the situation.

He opened up a bit recently, saying he was caught off guard by it.

“I was hoping there was going to be a negotiation of some sort to get something worked out,” Mangold told the New York Post. “But when you’re told, ‘Hey, we’re cutting you, and good luck,’ that really caught me off guard.”

“It’s definitely going to be different. I’ve worn the same uniform for 11 years, which is the longest I’ve ever worn a uniform, even going back to my grade-school days. I only wore the same uniform going to school for eight years. It’s going to be a difficult transition.”

“Yeah,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in that organization, not just players, that have affected my life and been a part of my life. But you have your equipment staff, your training staff, coaches that have come through, front office staff, marketing, ticketing, the kitchen staff, the operations. … There’s a whole bunch of people in that building who have been around for a long time, that it’s difficult that I’m not being able to have a proper goodbye and say goodbye to those people at the office ’cause now I’m a free agent. I’ll have to call to be able to go over to the facility.”