Jets honor late Nick Mangold with tribute before game against Browns

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets gave Nick Mangold a final farewell in the stadium where he was one of the team's greatest and most beloved players.

The late Mangold was honored during an on-field tribute before the Jets' 27-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Mangold's wife, Jennifer, and their four children, Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte, wore green and white No. 74 jerseys as they stood at midfield during the pregame coin toss at MetLife Stadium.

“It was very emotional," Jets coach Aaron Glenn said after the game. "Lot of credit to his wife for how they navigated through this whole deal. Because I know that’s not easy. Not easy at all. Condolences still to that family. It was impressive to see how she handled it, how the kids handled it.”

Mangold, a two-time All-Pro center who helped lead the Jets to the AFC championship game twice in his 11 seasons with New York, died on Oct. 27 from complications of kidney disease. He was 41.

“I didn’t watch too much Jets when I was younger, but from everyone I hear, guys that have been here for a long time, he was loved in the building,” said quarterback Justin Fields, who also played at Ohio State. “It broke my heart, seeing his family on the sideline and just kind of hearing that back story. I prayed for that family before the game. ...

“It was tough, but I'm glad we were able to get the win today.”

Mangold's death came less than two weeks after he announced on social media that he had kidney disease and needed a transplant. He said he didn’t have any relatives who were able to donate, so he went public with the request for a donor with type O blood.

Mangold’s funeral was Tuesday and several of his former teammates attended the service in Madison, New Jersey.

The Jets honored Mangold with a massive No. 74 banner on the field and unfurled a large picture of the former center in the stands behind one of the end zones. A video tribute was played and former left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who was drafted with Mangold in the first round in 2006, gave an emotional speech about his former teammate and good friend.

The Jets held a moment of silence for Mangold and then a chant of “Man-gold! Man-gold” rang out around the stadium just before the singing of the national anthem.

Several in the stands wore No. 74 Mangold jerseys and the Jets gave out white T-shirts with a drawing of Mangold’s face — hat backward and wearing sunglasses — to fans. Jets tight end Jeremy Ruckert, who went to Ohio State — Mangold’s alma mater — arrived to the stadium wearing a red Buckeyes No. 55 jersey, Mangold’s number in college.

“It's been emotional all week, just in general,” Glenn said after the game, the Jets' first since the team traded stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. “Man, you get a chance to see his wife and his kids out there. And I'll be honest with you, to see how strong she was handling it, to see how strong his kids were handling it, that in itself just tells you about who he was and how he was the leader of his family and how much of a rock his wife was to be around his kids and the way they raised their children.”

Mangold was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. He helped lead New York within one win of the Super Bowl during both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He retired in 2018 and was enshrined in the Jets’ ring of honor in 2022.

Mangold was among 52 modern-era players who recently advanced in the voting process for next year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

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