Omar Cooper Jr. finally gave the Jets the kind of glimpse they were waiting for in Week 6.
After a bumpy start to his rookie season, the former Hoosier wideout returned from a high ankle sprain and wasted no time showing why New York made him the 30th overall pick in April's 2026 NFL Draft. Against the Patriots on Sunday afternoon, Cooper led the Jets in receiving with 6 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, delivering his first NFL score on a 48-yard strike from Geno Smith in the third quarter.
Before that breakout, Cooper’s NFL journey had hardly gotten off the ground smoothly. He made his debut on Sept. 13 and finished with one catch for 30 yards, then landed on IR because of the ankle injury. That left him with a short and uneven start to his pro career, but once he got healthy, he made the most of the opening in front of him.
Smith had plenty to say about it after the game.
“He fought just to get back out there, and what he did was showcase who he is: He’s a playmaker,” Smith told reporters. “He’s a guy who finds ways to make catches. The tough catches - he makes them look easy.”
That’s the part that should matter most to the Jets. New York has been looking for a reliable WR2 to line up opposite Garrett Wilson, and Cooper’s Week 6 performance gave the team a strong case that he could be that answer.
He brings the kind of juice that changes how a defense has to play him: burst, strong hands, and the ability to create after the catch. When he gets space, he can turn a routine throw into a problem for the secondary.
The numbers from Indiana back up the profile. Cooper was a major piece of the Hoosiers’ National Championship run last year, leading the team with 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He also added 74 rushing yards and another score. Over four seasons in Bloomington, he finished with 115 receptions for 1,798 yards and 22 touchdowns.
His college résumé also came with a signature highlight: that acrobatic catch against Penn State last season that helped Indiana survive on the road and keep its undefeated season intact. Plays like that are part of why the Jets took him in the first round, and why his first true NFL showing mattered so much.
Now the question is whether he can keep it rolling. New York heads into Week 7 against the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, and after what Cooper just put on tape, the opportunity to carve out a steady role is right there.
In Other News...
Indiana's Offensive Usage Just Created A Bigger Debate After Ohio State
Even in a 19-15 loss to Ohio State that left Indiana at 6-1, the bigger conversation is not just what the offense did, but how the snaps were distributed. The Hoosiers leaned on a mix of personnel that produced a few clear bright spots, from quarterback Josh Hoovers efficient touchdown-to-interception profile to the way wide receiver Charlie Becker emerged as the most productive and best-graded weapon in the passing game.
The usage chart also sharpened the debate in the backfield and along the line. Turbo Richard saw a heavier snap share than Lee Beebe Jr., while the offensive line held up better in pass protection than in run blocking, leaving the ground game with less room to breathe than the passing game had. For Indiana, that split matters now, because the numbers suggest the offense has pieces that can travel, but not yet a fully settled formula for how to use them. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas First Loss Just Put More Pressure On Michigan Trip
The 22-game run is over, and Indiana suddenly finds itself heading into a bigger test with a little less margin for error. The Hoosiers fell 19-15 to Ohio State in a Top-5 matchup, a loss that snapped the longest streak in the country and served as a reminder that the room for disappointment is small at this point in the season.
Even with several other highly ranked teams losing around them, Indiana still slipped a spot to No. 6 in the AP Poll, a sign that the Hoosiers did not get much help from the weekend results. Now the focus turns to a Week 8 trip to Michigan, where Indiana will have to show the Ohio State loss was a stumble rather than the start of a slide. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Calls Out What Indiana Must Fix Before Michigan
Curt Cignetti did not sugarcoat what went wrong after Indianas narrow loss, and the list started with the kinds of mistakes that can swing a tight game before it ever settles in. Missed field goals and turnovers were front and center in his postgame message, along with the broader issue of execution that kept the Hoosiers from making the most of their opportunities. With Michigan next on the schedule, the margin for those lapses gets even thinner.
Cignetti also pointed to the offensive balance Indiana needs to find, along with sharper quarterback accuracy, as the staff turns quickly to correction mode. The bigger concern now is not just fixing the details, but doing it while keeping the group mentally tough enough to carry those lessons through the rest of the season. Saturdays setback left little doubt about what has to improve first, and the Wolverines offer an immediate test of whether those adjustments can take hold. [Read more 🡒]