The broad world of sports caters to fans of all tastes. However, at the end of the day, one thing is universal. People all across the world support their favorite teams every year in hopes that at the end of the season, they are lucky enough to feel that raw joy and witness their team emerge victorious and hoist up the trophy cup.
American football is also a highly popular sport and the Super Bowl is considered to be one of the biggest events in the USA. Around 125 million people go to see the Super Bowl every year and also bet thousands on their favorite teams, online or live. Nowadays however, betting online on various sports is the new trend and there seems to be a significant inclination towards it.
Speaking of betting on American football teams, the New York Jets, an American football team situated in the New York metropolitan area, are quite the celebrities to fans all across the world. Although winning the Super Bowl only once in 1969, they are constantly improving the quality of their team every season and are favored more than their rivals, the New York Giants.
Since 2007, the Jets have significantly improved, whereas the Giants have underachieved. However, they have to say goodbye to one of their admired line-backers, Darron Lee. The start of his career seemed to be exceptional, since his signing to the New York Jets in 2016.
They signed him to a four-year $10.22 million contract and there’s no doubt that Lee didn’t prove his worth in the years to come. In 2016, Lee finished the Jets’ 37–31 win at the Buffalo Bills with five combined tackles. He finished his rookie season in 2016 with 73 combined tackles (45 solo), three pass deflections, and one sack in 13 games and nine starts.
Unfortunately, this fame was short-lived and many problems began to arise in the next few years. It becomes particularly difficult for fans and team-mates alike to see such potential wasted and these type of incidents aren’t only limited to American football. For example in European football, some previously prestigious players like Paul Pogba from Manchester United fail to perform capably due to issues of discontent and ego, affecting the whole teams performance as well.
In 2017 during a game against the Buffalo Bills, Lee was penalized for a late hit on Bills’ center Eric Wood and was fined $9,115 and also received a fine of $36,464 for a roughing the passer penalty on Dolphins’ quarterback Jay Cutler. He soon showed signs of immaturity and was suspended from a game by coach Todd Bowles for being late to practice and from the Jets’ Week 13 victory at the Kansas City Chiefs.
In June 2017, Lee got into a heated argument with his girlfriend at a musical festival in New York City and had to be pulled away from the altercation by teammate Leonard Williams. The NFL investigated the incident, caught on cell-phone video, and decided not to impose discipline.
On the 7th of December 2018, the New York Jets season took a grim turn and Lee was suspended four games due to a PED violation. The suspension was effective immediately, meaning Lee’s season was over.
And it seems that speculation from the Jets was correct and they have made the decision to trade Lee to the Kansas City Chiefs. On May 3, 2019, they declined the fifth-year option on Lee’s contract. Darron Lee will officially no longer be playing with the New York Jets as of 2020 and has joined the ranks of the Chiefs. The Chiefs gave up a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to acquire Lee.
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