CINCINNATI – Jets legend Nick Mangold died on Saturday night just two weeks after he publicly revealed he needed a kidney transplant.
Mangold was 41 years old. On Oct. 14, Mangold announced that he had been diagnosed in 2006 with a genetic defect that led to chronic kidney disease. He said he had a “rough summer” and was undergoing dialysis while seeking a kidney transplant.
“I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” said in a statement.
Mangold, who played center, was a first-round pick by the Jets in 2006. He went on to be one of the key pieces in a team that went to the playoffs three times and made it to two AFC Championship Games. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and seven-time Pro Bowler.
He retired after the 2016 season and was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor in 2022. The Jets are facing the Bengals on Sunday in Cincinnati, not far from where Mangold grew up in Centerville, Ohio. He later starred at Ohio State.
