Taking to social media on his 33^rd birthday, C.J. Mosley announced his intention to retire from the NFL in an Instagram post.

"Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation," Mosley said in a 2-minute, 10-second video released Thursday. "I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it's time to start a new chapter with new dreams. It won't be easy, but I'm here to tell you every sacrifice is worth it."

A cerebral and instinctive Mike' backer, Mosley (6-2, 231) was central command for the Jets for 56 games while amassing 504 tackles. After playing in only two games in 2019 and opting out of the 2020 season during the coronavirus pandemic, he finished with 168, 158 and 152 stops in 2021, '22 and '23, respectively.

Mosley, who was limited to four games last season, was released from the club in March. He injured his toe in a Week 2 contest at Tennessee and later sustained a neck injury prior to the Jets' Week 8 game at New England.

"C.J. was the epitome of a class act as a teammate, player, and leader for the last six seasons," said Chairman Robert Wood Johnson when Mosley was released. "The passion and commitment he brought each day to the organization inspired his teammates to give their all. We sincerely thank C.J. for his countless sacrifices and dedication and wish him all the best moving forward."

Mosley, the Curtis Martin Team MVP in 2021, finished the 2021 season with 168 tackles, the most by a Jet since Jonathan Vilma's league-leading 173 tackles in 2005. Mosley also had 14 tackles in third-/fourth-down situations to prevent conversions, most by a Jets front-seven player since LB David Harris had 14 in 2013.

"From everything we learned about C.J. – he is a passionate leader, who put the New York Jets first and got the most out of his teammates," said HC Aaron Glenn following Mosley's spring release.

An Alabama product who was the No. 17 overall selection by Baltimore in the 2014 NFL Draft, Mosley played 77 games with the Ravens and totaled 563 tackles, 9 INTs, 8.6 sacks, 6 FF and 6 fumbles recovered. When he arrived in New York, Mosley joined Panthers ILB Luke Kuechly as the only two players in the NFL with 500 tackles, 8 sacks and 8 INTs from 2014-18.

Over 133 career games, Mosley's career stats include 1,083 tackles (687 solo), 55 TFL, 12 sacks and 9 FR.

Mosley paid it forward with the Jets, guiding Jamien Sherwood throughout a breakout 2024 campaign. Taking over in the middle for Mosley, Sherwood, led the NFL with 98 solo tackles and totaled a team-leading 158 stops with 10 TFL and 2 sacks. Sherwood was voted Curtis Martin Team MVP by his teammates and then was rewarded with a multi-year deal by GM Darren Mougey and Glenn at the start of free agency this past March.

"I was ready for this moment because of him," Sherwood said last winter. "From the time I got here as a rookie, I tore my Achilles and all I did was ask him questions ... ask him questions. When I'm at home, I'm watching him on the game days jotting everything I can down. And the whole time that he's been hurt he's been nothing but a blessing to all of us. He answers every question like he's going to play in the game. He gives us the answers like he's going to be out there with us. All I can say is I'm so thankful for him. He's been the blueprint for me, I've done nothing but copy everything he does, the way he writes his notes, the way he moves on the field. I just feel like I had a cheat code these four years and ultimately now I'm in the game using it."

An outstanding player at every stop, Mosley will move on to a new chapter while continuing to make an impact. His mindset was reflected by a line in his birthday social post.

"When you wake up, what will your legacy look like?"