The Jets have placed left tackle Tyron Smith on injured reserve while activating offensive lineman Xavier Newman from IR and elevating running back Kene Nwangwu to the active roster for Sunday’s game against Seattle.
Smith, standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 320 pounds, joined the Jets last offseason following a remarkable 13-year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. This season, he started 10 games before a neck injury sustained in Week 10 against the Cardinals sidelined him. The injury also kept him out of the Week 11 game against Indianapolis. A first-round pick (9th overall) from USC in 2011, Smith boasts an illustrious career, including 171 starts, 8 Pro Bowl selections, and 5 All-Pro honours (2 First-Team, 3 Second-Team). Recognised as one of the finest left tackles in NFL history, he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s.
Xavier Newman, measuring 6-foot-2 and 297 pounds, suffered a neck injury in Week 7 against the Steelers, leading to his placement on injured reserve on October 23. Newman missed the last four games but had played 11 snaps on offence during the first seven weeks of the season. Originally signed by Tennessee as an undrafted free agent from Baylor in 2022, Newman joined the Jets practice squad last year before being promoted to the active roster. Over the past two seasons, he has appeared in 14 games, contributing 291 offensive snaps and 48 on special teams for the Jets.
Kene Nwangwu, standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 210 pounds, joined the Jets practice squad in September. Now elevated to the active roster, he brings valuable experience as a return specialist. Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round in 2021 out of Iowa State, Nwangwu led the NFL in return touchdowns as a rookie with two and in total returns (35) during the 2022 season. Over three seasons, he has scored three kick-return touchdowns and averaged 27.6 yards per return. In 37 career games, he has also contributed on offence, with 27 carries for 88 yards and 60 offensive snaps, alongside 326 snaps on special teams.
These roster moves are part of the Jets’ preparations to address injuries and strengthen their squad for the crucial game against the Seahawks.
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