Jelani Woods didn’t need long to make himself relevant again at Jets camp, and Kenyon Sadiq’s latest setback may have sped up the process.
Aaron Glenn said Tuesday that the rookie tight end will be “out a bit” after suffering a setback following offseason sports hernia surgery. The Jets still sound hopeful that Sadiq, the No. 16 pick in April, will be ready for Week 1 against Robert Saleh and the Titans.
That leaves New York’s tight end room in a different spot than it looked a week ago. Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert are still the main names in the plan, but Woods has pushed himself into the conversation fast.
The veteran tight end, who arrived on a waiver claim last summer and re-signed on a one-year deal in March, has been one of the more noticeable players in camp over the past week. He’s already become a favorite target for Geno Smith and Cade Klubnik, and on Monday he had three catches and led Jets players in targets, according to the team’s official website.
“There’s a number of things that you can envision him doing for us,” Glenn told reporters. “You can split him out and let him go one-on-one with a safety [or] a linebacker, and I’m expecting him to win that matchup.”
That kind of usage fits Woods well, and it also fits the coach he knows best. Frank Reich and Woods overlapped in Indianapolis during Woods’ rookie season in 2022, when he settled into the offense quickly and finished with 25 catches for 315 yards and three touchdowns.
The rest of Woods’ Colts tenure was wrecked by injuries. Hamstring issues cost him the 2023 season, toe surgery wiped out all of 2024, and Indianapolis released him last August. He later appeared in four games for the Jets, with his lone catch going for 4 yards in the Week 17 loss to New England.
Now he’s at least making a case to stick around beyond camp. Taylor is entering the second year of his rookie contract, and the Jets extended Ruckert last December, so neither looks in danger of missing the Week 1 roster. But Sadiq’s absence creates more room for Woods to keep carving out snaps and maybe earn a practice squad spot if he keeps building on this start.
Reich’s comfort with Woods matters, and so does his preference for multi-tight-end looks. Sadiq’s setback may also give Woods more chances in preseason action, which could help him keep building chemistry with Klubnik, the fourth-round rookie from Clemson.
For Darren Mougey, it’s a reminder that not every injury has to send a roster into panic mode. Even with a first-round pick sidelined, the Jets have enough pieces in place to keep moving.
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Jets Camp Just Took Another Hit At Tight End
The Jets tight end group has already been under a spotlight in camp, and rookie Kenyon Sadiq has added another layer to it after missing practice time while working back from a hernia injury. Head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed the setback, which comes at a point when every rep matters for a young player trying to carve out a role and for a position group that has been watched closely since camp opened.
Sadiqs absence could create a little more runway for Mason Taylor, who has drawn praise from the coaching staff and may see more chances while the rookie continues his rehab. For a team trying to sort out its depth and find reliable options early, any interruption at tight end has a way of changing the conversation fast, and this one leaves the Jets waiting on how soon Sadiq can get back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
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Jets Kicker Battle Just Became A Real Week 1 Debate
The Jets spent the offseason replacing a familiar piece of stability after veteran kicker Nick Folk left for Atlanta in free agency, and the search for his successor has quickly turned into one of camps more intriguing battles. New York brought in Cade York and former All-Pro Jason Sanders to compete for the job, giving the team two kickers with enough pedigree to make this more than a routine depth-chart exercise.
A recent training camp practice only sharpened the competition, with Sanders running the table on all eight field goal tries and York connecting on seven of eight. For now, the Jets look set with their main Week 1 options, but the final call is still going to come down to who can stay steady through the rest of camp and the preseason, where every kick carries a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]