Jets' Carl Lawson Eyes Playing Time amid Trade Rumors: 'I'm Not a Cheerleader'

New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson is hoping to get more time on the field amid speculation he could be dealt ahead of the NFL's trade deadline on Oct. 31.

Speaking to reporters about the trade rumors and his current role on the Jets, Lawson explained he's "not a cheerleader" and "always" wants to contribute for his team.

"I definitely want to play and contribute," he said. "I know I can. I've proven that. Yeah, I always want to contribute, but right now I'm with the Jets, but I definitely want to play more. I definitely want to do what I did last year [seven sacks]. ... I'm a football player, not a cheerleader."

Going into Week 6, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported the Jets "would be willing" to move on from Lawson.

At this point, there's no reason for the Jets to keep the 28-year-old. He's been a healthy scratch twice this season, most recently in Week 5 when the Jets played the Denver Broncos.

Even when Lawson has been on the active roster, Jets head coach Robert Saleh has barely used him. He hasn't played more than 30 percent of the defensive snaps in any of the four games he's played.

Lawson was a productive pass-rusher for the Jets last season. He finished second on the team with 24 quarterback hits and seven sacks.

The Jets restructured Lawson's contract during the offseason to convert his non-guaranteed money into an $8 million guarantee.

After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Lawson signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Jets as a free agent in March 2021. A ruptured Achilles suffered during a joint preseason practice kept him out for the entire 2021 season.

Lawson only has a $3 million cap hit this season and four void years on his deal. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise if the Jets and Lawson go their separate ways soon given where he seems to stand on their depth chart and his public desire to get more playing time.