CINCINNATI \u2014 Jets legend Nick Mangold died Saturday night due to complications from kidney disease, the team announced. Mangold was 41.<\/p>\n
“Nick was more than a legendary center,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”<\/p>\n
Mangold posted a letter on social media less than two weeks ago, announcing he had been battling a kidney disease since 2006 and he was in need of a transplant. He detailed that it had been \u201ca rough summer,\u201d he was going dialysis and was looking for a donor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t an easy message to share, but I want to be open about what\u2019s been happening with me and my health,\u201d Mangold\u2019s social media post read. \u201cI’m undergoing dialysis as we look for a kidney transplant. I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have more time.”<\/p>\n
A first-round pick in 2006, Mangold spent his entire 11-year career playing center for the Jets. He started 164 games, anchoring their offensive line. Mangold was the center on the Jets\u2019 last two playoff teams. They reached the AFC Championship Game in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.<\/p>\n
Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who drafted Mangold in 2006, posted a statement on his verified X account.<\/p>\n
“Absolutely devastating news; Nick was a great player, but an even better person” he wrote. “He was one of the best leaders on so many great teams, who was consistently positive, yet incredibly competitive.<\/p>\n
“A very special person who’s gone way too soon.”<\/p>\n
Mangold made seven Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro three times. He was inducted into the Jets\u2019 ring of honor in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cNick was the embodiment of consistency, strength, and leadership,” Jets vice chairman Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “For over a decade, he anchored our offensive line with unmatched skill and determination, earning the respect of teammates, opponents, and fans alike.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis contributions on the field were extraordinary \u2014 but it was his character, humility, and humor off the field that made him unforgettable.”<\/p>\n
Mangold, a Centerville, Ohio, native, is survived by his wife, Jenny, and four children.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\tAl Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CINCINNATI \u2014 Jets legend Nick Mangold died Saturday night due to complications from kidney disease, the team announced.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253061,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4,450,451,5702,3,99,452,453],"class_list":{"0":"post-253060","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-breaking-news","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-headlines","11":"tag-new-york-jets","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-top-stories","15":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253060"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253060\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}