When the Jets signed C.J. Mosley to a five-year, $85 million deal this offseason, many questioned why they would give an inside linebacker who couldn’t rush the passer $17 million annually. The Jets had several holes on defense and could have spread that money across multiple positions instead of giving it all to one player with 8.5 career sacks.

But after Week 1, Mosley proved he was worth all the money, both for what he did on the field and what happened after he left the game with a groin injury.

The Jets brought in Mosley to be a culture-changer and the quarterback of the defense. He did just that by leading the Jets with two of the team’s four first-half takeaways. Mosley returned an interception for a touchdown, forced a fumble and broke up what would have been a Bills passing touchdown while also finishing with five total tackles in 3.5 quarters of play.

Mosley was everywhere, and the Jets defense looked unstoppable with him in the lineup. Josh Allen looked like a deer in headlights, the running game couldn’t muster anything and the Bills offense sputtered on every drive in the first 40 minutes of the game. In his final act before leaving the game, the linebacker blanketed John Brown in the endzone and batted away Allen’s pass before Brown could haul it in for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

It was on that play where everything changed for the Jets defense.

When Mosley injured his groin and left the game, the Jets suddenly couldn’t stop the Bills. The Bills scored all 17 of their second-half points with Mosley out of the lineup and the Jets allowed 170 yards on three defensive drives after allowing only 179 on the previous nine Bills drives.

Simply put: Mosley is the glue that held the Jets defense together. Without him, they fell apart.

A lot of Mosley’s worth comes from his play on the field. He’s arguably one of the best coverage inside linebackers in the league and the Jets paid him to be that. But his leadership, experience and ability to solidify the middle of the defense makes him almost invaluable.

The Jets don’t have a defensive leader if Mosley isn’t playing. Jamal Adams is a vocal piece who brings swagger to the unit, but he can’t command the defensive huddle or call the plays from the secondary. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams is too inconsistent and the rest of the linebackers are too young or unproductive. Mosley is the man, and without him, Gregg Williams and the rest of the defense looked lost.

Fellow inside linebacker Avery Williamson – who the Jets lost for the year with a torn ACL – said it best back in April when he explained how bringing in Mosley would help the Jets’ defense:

“He’s going to be a great addition to this team,” Williamson said. “Not only in leadership-wise but with his play. That’s what we need: Guys like himself that can finish games and to get [us] to where we need to be.”

The Jets needed Mosley to close out the game against the Bills. Without him, they crumbled under the pressure and blew the 16-0 lead Mosley helped deliver before his untimely departure.

It’s unclear if Mosley’s groin injury is serious or not. If it is, Gregg Williams will need to rework his gameplan to account for the absence. Without his veteran linebacker, the Jets went with rookie Blake Cashman at the other inside linebacker spot alongside Neville Hewitt – another replacement-level player starting for the injured Williamson. That duo simply won’t cut it for the Jets, and it could be deadly for the rest of the defense if Mosley is out for an extended period of time.

Paying Mosley an exorbitant amount of money looked like another massive over-pay from a front office no longer in power. Week 1 proved that narrative false. Mosley was worth every penny the Jets paid him, and without him, New York looks like a completely different defense.