"The Jets made it official Monday, announcing that leading rusher Thomas Jones will be released Friday at the start of free agency - a decision that stung several veterans on the team.

"I can tell you, it's not going to be a popular move in the locker room," said one player, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "We loved T.J. The man loved the game and put it all on the line only to get dumped after his best season. I think you should reward players for performance. You dump him but give Vernon (Gholston) another shot? Doesn't make sense."

The Jets issued a statement, with team officials praising Jones for being a "productive, passionate leader," as GM Mike Tannenbaum said. Rex Ryan said Jones "immediately became one of my guys. He had one of his best years last season - might have been his best. ... This is one of the tough decisions we had to make for our organization.""