It may have taken just over a decade, but the Pittsburgh Steelers will no longer have the threat of playing against a former divisional rival. On Thursday, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports announced that former Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley is hanging up his NFL cleats for good. He's officially retiring from the league.
Mosley, 33, wrapped up an outstanding NFL career. A first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2014, Mosley earned Second-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie while finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2014.
In five seasons with the Ravens, Mosley earned Pro Bowl honors four times while proving to be one of the NFL's elite tackling machines and a splash playmaker from the linebacker position. In his third season in 2016, Mosley collected four interceptions and eight passes defended in just 14 games.
After leaving the Ravens, Mosley spent the final six years of his career with the New York Jets. Unfortunately, the talented linebacker played just two games on his new team in 2019 while dealing with multiple injuries. Then, the following year, Mosley opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, at 30 years old, Mosley earned his fifth and final Pro Bowl honors after racking up 158 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and seven passes defended.
Former Baltimore Ravens LB C.J. Mosley was a terror against the Pittsburgh Steelers over the years
The 2014 NFL Draft feels like yesterday. I remember watching the Pittsburgh Steelers select Ryan Shazier with the 15th overall pick and watching C.J. Mosley being selected two picks later by the Baltimore Ravens. Because these two first-round linebackers entered the AFC North at the same time, they were constantly compared to each other until Shazier's tragic career-ending spinal injury in 2017.
In 12 games against the Steelers, Mosley managed to rake in 104 tackles, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception, according to data from Statmuse.com.
Mosley finishes his NFL career with 1,083 total tackles, 55 tackles for a loss, 10 forced fumbles, and 12 interceptions.
With Mosley officially retired, this is one former AFC North rival that will never again darken the doorway of the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, we could always respect his game. Hats off to an outstanding NFL career, Mr. Mosley.