Carl Lawson NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds: Jets' top defensive end carted off with practice injury Thursday

One of the New York Jets' big free-agent signings in March was former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carl Lawson to a three-year contract worth $45 million and $30 million guaranteed. Because NFL contracts usually are not fully guaranteed like in the NBA or Major League Baseball, players want as much in guaranteed money up front as possible in case of injury. It's way too soon to speculate, but Lawson had to be carted off from Jets practice Thursday with a left leg injury and it certainly didn't look great. 

Caesars Sportsbook lists Lawson at +6600 to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 and +7500 to lead the league in sacks. Neither of those was likely regardless as Lawson has just 20 sacks in 51 games over four seasons with the Bengals, but he's a very good player.

Last year in Cincinnati, Lawson played all 16 games and had 5.5 sacks with 64 quarterback pressures, which were fourth in the NFL via Pro Football Focus. Over the past two years, Lawson's 54 QB hits trailed only the Chargers' Joey Bosa among NFL defensive linemen.

By all accounts, Lawson had been the team's best defensive player in camp and terrorizing the offensive line. He was hurt in a team period Thursday facing the Packers offense as part of a joint practice. Lawson, 26, fell to the ground after rushing the passer and needed a cart to be taken off the field. Players were taking a knee and praying.

Lawson tore his right ACL in 2018 with the Bengals and in 2014 while at Auburn, he tore his left ACL. Update: Lawson is having an MRI on the Achilles tendon. The Jets and Packers meet in a preseason game Saturday at Lambeau Field.

New York's defense line looks like a potential strength led by Lawson, tackle and free-agent addition Sheldon Rankins and tackle Quinnen Williams. The Jets' defense should be better overall because new head coach Robert Saleh is a defensive guy and his new coordinator is Jeff Ulbrich, who started last year as the Falcons' assistant head coach and linebackers coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator when Raheem Morris took over head coaching duties. That Atlanta defense played much better under Ulbrich.

On a prop for least points conceded in the 2021 NFL regular season, the Jets are +3500. The betting favorite is Baltimore at +750. New York is a 4.5-point underdog for Week 1 at Carolina and former Jets QB Sam Darnold. 

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