The Jets have signed CB Kendall Sheffield to the active roster and placed RB Kene Nwangwu on injured reserve. The team also elevated WR Brandon Smith and TE Zack Kuntz to the roster for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. The Green & White also downgraded veteran CB D.J. Reed (groin) and OL Xavier Newman (groin) to out.
Sheffield (5-10, 212), a fourth-round pick of the Falcons (No. 111 overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft, spent training camp with the Jets before he was cut and signed to the practice squad. He appeared in 38 games (20 starts) for the Falcons from 2019-21 and registered 101 tackles, 6 PDs and 2 FF. Sheffield had short stints on the 49ers and Titans practicesquads last season. The former Ohio State Buckeye has been elevated for three games this season and has taken 61 snaps (42 on defense, 19 on special teams).
Nwangwu (6-1, 210) signed with Jets practice squad in September and was elevated to the active roster for Sunday's Week 13 game vs. Seattle before he signed to the active roster Dec. 2. He sustained a hand injury against the Dolphins last Sunday. Before joining the Green & White, he spent all three years of his NFL career with the Vikings after Minnesota drafted him in the fourth round out of Iowa State in 2021. Nwangwu has 4 return touchdowns in as many seasons and has a career 28.7-yard kick return average.
Smith (6-2, 215) signed with the Green & White Aug. 2 and led the team with 120 receiving yards on 5 catches in the preseason before he was cut and joined the practice squad. Before the Jets, he played in the UFL for the D.C. Defenders where he had 18 catches, 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Iowa product went undrafted in 2020 and has spent time with both the Cowboys and Cardinals rosters buthas not appeared in a regular season game. Smith totaled 91 receptions, 1,046 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Hawkeyes in 39 games.
Kuntz (6-8, 251) was the Jets' seventh-round pick (220th overall) out of Penn State and Old Dominion in the 2023 draft. He spent the first 15 weeks of last season on the Jets' practice squad and made his pro debut in Game 17 at New England with 2 offensive snaps and 4 more on special teams. He logged one catch for 9 yards on 87 offensive plays and added 34 ST snaps in the three preseason games last August before he was waived.
Veteran TE Tyler Conklin did not travel with the team to Florida for personal reasons but could join the club Sunday morning in Jacksonville. He will be listed as questionable on the injury report.
Reed (5-9, 188) has collected 10 PDs in 11 games while Newman (6-2, 297) has dressed in eight contests.
