Jets Officially Place $24 Million Tight End on Injured Reserve, Activate Replacement

With veteran on the shelf, undrafted Kenny Yeboah gets a chance to play

It's another disappointment in what has been a disappointing season for New York Jets' tight end C.J. Uzomah. 

In a move that head coach Robert Saleh said was imminent, the Jets officially placed Uzomah on Injured Reserve Wednesday. Tight end Kenny Yeboah is coming off IR to take Uzomah's roster spot. 

"C.J. Uzomah, he's dealing with an MCL. He's out and he'll go to IR," reported Saleh on Monday.

The 30-year-old Uzomah, who is in the second season of a three-year, $24 million contract that was signed in 2022, went down on the offense's second snap against Atlanta on December 3. Following a one-yard loss by Breece Hall on a 2nd-and-10 play, Uzomah was seen grabbing his right knee. He was unable to put any pressure on the leg while leaving the field. 

Appearing in all 12 games, Uzomah made minimal contributions to the passing attack. He caught eight of 12 targets for 58 yards and one touchdown. In 2022, he tallied 21 receptions (on 27 targets) for 232 yards and two scores over a 15-game sample.

The 25-year-old Yeboah has been on Injured Reserve since the start of the season as a result of a summertime hamstring injury. The Jets opened his 21-day activation window on November 15 and the third-year pro has been practicing since. 

Yeboah has made 19 regular season appearances for the Jets over the past two years. He joined the organization in 2021 as an undrafted free agent after competing collegiately at Mississippi and Temple. The 6-foot-3 target has two career receptions for 36 yards, having seen the large majority of his playing time on special teams. 

In addition to Yeboah, the Jets' active tight ends include Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert.

The Jets are next in action on December 10, hosting the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium.

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