FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The banged-up New York Jets shook up their roster a bit.
Left tackle Ryan Clady was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a shoulder injury, and wide receiver Devin Smith was activated from the physically unable to perform list.
The team also signed defensive lineman Anthony Johnson from New England’s practice squad to the active roster and waived defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins. Offensive tackle Zach Sterup was also signed to the practice squad.
Clady was acquired in the offseason from Denver to replace the retired D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who never missed a snap in a game or practice due to injury in 10 seasons. Clady, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, was coming off a torn knee ligament that sidelined him all of last year, but he was ready to start the season for the Jets.
Clady has been dealing with an ailing rotator cuff, however, since injuring it at Kansas City in Week 3. He was active at Miami last Sunday, but only played on special teams. Ben Ijalana will replace him, as he did against the Dolphins.
“It got so bad to where it wasn’t getting any better with treatment and he was pretty much playing out there with one arm,” coach Todd Bowles said. “It wasn’t getting any better, he became weaker as a matter of fact, so we just had to put him (on IR).”
Clady signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Jets, including a $10 million club option for next season which most likely will not be picked up.
Smith tore a ligament in his right knee during a game last December and has been working his way back since. Per NFL rules regarding players on PUP, the Jets had until Wednesday to decide whether to activate Smith, place him on season-ending injured reserve or release him.
“We’ll see how he fits in the game plan,” Bowles said. “We have a bunch of receivers now, so it’s going to be hard fighting for playing time right there, but we’ll sort it out during the week.”
The second-year receiver told The Associated Press last Friday he was being patient while he awaited the team’s decision.
“This is kind of how I put it: Whatever decision that they make, there’s a reason for it,” Smith said. “I’m just going to be ready for whatever the situation is. But if they do decide to bring me back and have me play, I’ll be ready.”
Smith, a second-round pick last year out of Ohio State, had just nine catches for 115 yards and a touchdown before the knee injury last season.
Johnson played in four games this season with the Patriots, and has 10 tackles and a fumble recovery in 11 career games.
He was signed by Miami as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2014, and played seven games with the Dolphins. After being among Miami’s final cuts the following summer, Johnson was signed to Washington’s practice squad last November.
Johnson signed with the Patriots and made their roster out of training camp before being released, signed to the practice squad, promoted to the active roster and then waived and re-signed to the practice squad.
He’ll replace Jenkins on the Jets’ roster. Jenkins, signed to a two-year, $6 million deal in the offseason, had nine tackles in nine games for New York as a backup.
He previously played with Washington and Chicago after being a second-round pick of the Redskins out of Clemson in 2011.
“Anthony was a guy we were looking at for a little while,” Bowles said. “And we tried to upgrade with that and it came at a good time when he was available, so we signed him.”
Sterup replaces wide receiver Myles White, released from the practice squad Tuesday. The 6-foot-9, 318-pound tackle was signed by Kansas City as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska this year. He was suspended four games earlier this season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancers. Sterup was released from the Chiefs’ practice squad on Tuesday.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.