Former Missouri DE Kony Ealy lands with Jets

Former Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy found a new home after being ousted by the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers.

Ealy, selected by the Carolina Panthers at No. 60 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, finds himself with his third NFL team since the 2016 season ended.

At Missouri, Ealy played three seasons, where he recorded 12.5 sacks, 95 tackles (27 for loss), and an interception. At the end of the 2013 season, he was named first team All-SEC.

With the Panthers, Ealy’s play was never as consistent or fierce as it was at Mizzou, but he gave the best performance of the entire defense during Carolina’s appearance in Super Bowl 50, against the Denver Broncos.

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Had the Panthers won the Super Bowl, it was widely regarded that Ealy would likely have been the Super Bowl MVP.

Following his huge performance in the Super Bowl, Carolina gave Ealy another season to prove his worth, in the hopes that his performance on the game’s biggest stage would carry over into the 2017 season, but it never did.

During this year’s offseason, Ealy and Carolina’s 2018 third-round pick was traded to the New England Patriots in exchange for the Patriots’ second-round pick in 2017.

After Ealy’s sub-par performance in preseason under head coach Bill Belichick, he was released, and has signed with the New York Jets.

Next: Mizzou season preview: Quarterbacks

As a Panthers fan, I had great hopes that Ealy’s performance would improve, as his motor and skill level are solid, but he seems to have lacked putting forth the effort. Hopefully he’ll find a fulfilling career with the Jets.