The NFL has been cracking down hard with fines this year, just ask Saquon Barkley ($46,371, Week 2) or George Pickens ($28,982, Week 2), who’ve both felt the sting in their wallets. Till now, the league’s already shelled out more than 70 fines totaling close to $1.5 million. And the latest to part ways with a big chunk of change as punishment for a disciplinary slip-up? Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood.

Sherwood got slapped with a $17,389 fine for a hit on a defenseless receiver early in Monday night’s 27–21 loss to the Dolphins. It came barely two minutes into the game. Talk about starting the night on a bad note. Per the NFL’s rulebook, that kind of hit costs $17,389 the first time, and if you do it again, it jumps to $23,186. So, let’s hope he learned his lesson.

Then again, this isn’t the first time Sherwood has had to pay a hefty fine.

Last November, he was hit with a $6,354 fine for unnecessary roughness and use of the helmet on Patriots QB Drake Maye, who ended up in concussion protocol. Not exactly the kind of highlight reel you want following you around.

Still, take the fines out of the equation, and Sherwood’s quietly been one of the Jets’ few bright spots. Against Miami in Week 4, he racked up 10 tackles (nine of them assisted), and through four games, he’s sitting at 40 total tackles (15 solo). A reliable presence in a defense that’s been anything but.

He’s also building on his breakout 2024 campaign, when he finished with 158 tackles, good enough to put him among the league’s best and lead the NFL in solo stops. The Jets clearly noticed, rewarding him this offseason with a three-year, $45 million extension, including around $30 million guaranteed.

Unfortunately, the rest of the team hasn’t followed his lead. The Jets are sitting at 0–4, and head coach Aaron Glenn is feeling the heat. His patience ran thin last week, and one player paid the price.

Aaron Glenn cuts WR Isaiah Williams

Yes, WR and kick returner Isaiah Williams was waived after a special-teams disaster against Miami that would make any coach pull his hair out. First, Williams fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half, setting up an easy Dolphins score that extended Miami’s lead to 17-3. Then, later in the game, he made the baffling choice to call for a fair catch inside the five-yard line. He basically surrendered free yards.

Had he just let it bounce, the Jets likely would’ve started at the 25. Instead, Glenn and the front office decided they’d seen enough. Williams was cut before Week 5, and the Jets are expected to turn to Avery Williams (yep, another Williams) or Isaiah Davis while Kene Nwangwu nurses a hamstring issue.

And this is part of a pattern that hints at a glaring issue. Special teams have been a headache all year. Xavier Gipson fumbled a crucial kickoff in Week 1 against the Steelers that turned into a touchdown and, eventually, a loss. Glenn wasted no time in releasing him.

Between the fines, turnovers, and penalties, the Jets have had a rather messy start to the season, sitting at 0-4. Aaron Glenn was hopeful about working these issues out after last week’s loss to the Dolphins, but some issues just seem too heavy to be fixed so soon.