Many Jets are happy to return to the team during the uncertainty of the free agency signing period now upon us. They appreciate the culture, like the One Jets Drive setting, and love the expectations ahead for 2024.
Count tight end Kenny Yeboah in that group.
"I'm so excited to be back," Yeboah, who could have become a restricted free agent until he signed his new deal shortly after noon Tuesday, told newyorkjets.com's Caroline Hendershot. "I've been here for three years, and just being an undrafted guy, to be with the same team each and every year is such a blessing."
Yeboah has any number of reasons for his excitement. He's bonded of course with the other men in the tight ends room, Tyler Conlin and Jeremy Ruckert. He gets to work again for a full offseason in an Aaron Rodgers offense.
And he's an East Coast kind of guy, having been born in Providence, RI, played his high school ball in Allentown, PA, and spent the first four of his five college seasons playing at Temple.
Yeboah has found a niche in his three seasons in head coach Robert Saleh's program, in the Jets offense, and in particular on coordinator Brant Boyer's special teams. His prominence on both units might have risen dramatically last seaosn except for a preseason hamstring injury that kept him out until the final five games. But in that end-of-season exposure he was on the field for 123 offensive snaps and 114 special teams reps.
"I take a lot of pride in teams, and that's a credit to Coach Boyer," Yeboah said. "I came here and started on the practice squad and just earned and worked my way up. I feel I can do a lot on special teams, I can play every single team. And I just want to show also what I can do on offense. That's really the goal."
Every room of an NFL team is in transition at this time on the calendar, and the Jets' TEs room is no different. C.J. Uzomah was released last week, and new tight ends could appear during free agency and the draft.
Yeboah welcomes them all, because all will be needed for the Jets to take aim again at the rising expectations heading toward Rodgers' first regular season at the offensive helm.
"The biggest expectations for us are definitely playoffs and Super Bowl," he said. "Like Coach Saleh says, each and every day you've got to put that callus on your body and go to work each and every day. It starts in a couple of weeks, really, when we get back to OTAs. So I'm really excited about this year and excited about the opportunity."
