The Jets are hoping one Lawson can replace another.
The team on Sunday acquired defensive end Shaq Lawson from the Texans in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick, according to a source.
Lawson should help fill the hole left on defense when pass rusher Carl Lawson ruptured his left Achilles’ tendon two weeks ago and was lost for the season.
The two are not related.
Lawson spent his first four seasons with the Bills, who drafted him with the No. 19 overall pick in 2016. He signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Dolphins in 2020, but only spent one season in Miami. The Dolphins traded Lawson to the Texans in March.
Shaq Lawson has 20.5 career sacks. His best season came with the Bills in 2019, when he had 6.5 sacks.
Last season in Miami, Lawson started seven games, playing in 14. He had four sacks, one fumble recovery for a touchdown, 32 tackles, four tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits.
Lawson has two years and $9.8 million left on his contract. There are two voidable years the Texans put onto the end of the contract for salary cap purposes when they restructured his deal in March.
The Jets had three sixth-round picks in 2022. The one they are trading was originally San Francisco’s. They acquired it last year when they traded Jordan Willis to the 49ers.
The Jets were counting on Carl Lawson to improve their pass rush this season after signing him to a three-year, $45 million contract in March. Lawson had a great start to training camp, but then ruptured his left Achilles’ tendon during a joint practice with the Packers in Green Bay two weeks ago. That left a major hole in the defense, one they hope Shaq Lawson can now help fill.