5 under-the-radar players the Jets should bring back this offseason

The New York Jets will have important decisions to make on a number of internal free agents this offseason. The Jets have 24 players under contract set to hit unrestricted free agency, and a handful of others who will be restricted or exclusive-rights free agents.

A good portion of those players will not be retained, as the Jets are preparing for yet another roster overhaul this offseason. Others, such as running back Breece Hall and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, figure to dominate the headlines in the coming weeks.

But what about the unheralded options? The Jets could look to bring in a few lesser-known names on short-term deals, and those are the players we’re focusing on here.

The Jets should re-sign these five internal free agents

1. RB/KR Kene Nwangwu

You might notice a trend on this list, as the Jets’ special teams unit was one of the few bright spots of the team’s 2025 season. The Jets would be wise to retain as much of that group as possible moving forward, and that should start with kick returner Kene Nwangwu.

The former All-Pro battled injuries throughout 2025, but when healthy, he has shown he can be one of the most dangerous kick returners in the NFL. Nwangwu finished as Pro Football Focus’ second-highest graded return specialist (minimum 18 returns), trailing only teammate Isaiah Williams.

He also recorded his fifth career kick return touchdown, giving him as many return scores as Devin Hester had in his career, despite just 89 total attempts. The Jets would be smart to prioritize bringing him back this offseason.

2. K Nick Folk

Another core piece of the Jets' 2025 special-teams unit that should be a top priority this offseason is kicker Nick Folk. The 19-year NFL veteran has incredibly led the league in field goal percentage each of the last three seasons, and he might've saved his best for his Jets return in 2025.

Folk connected on 28-of-29 field-goal attempts and all 22 of his extra points, with his only miss coming on a 55-yard attempt in Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons, the same game in which he later successfully kicked a 56-yard game-winner.

The 41-year-old Folk is reportedly not considering retirement at this time, which makes this an easy decision for the Jets. He should be back in green and white next season.

3. FB Andrew Beck

The Jets leaned heavily on their ground game in 2025, finishing as a top-10 rushing offense thanks to strong offensive line play and solid contributions from Breece Hall and the rest of the running back room. One of the more unheralded contributors to that success, however, was fullback Andrew Beck.

Beck appeared in all 17 games for the Jets last season, finishing as PFF's fourth-highest graded fullback in the NFL. It remains to be seen if new offensive coordinator Frank Reich plans to keep the fullback role in the Jets' offense, but if he does, Beck is worth bringing back for another year.

4. LB Mykal Walker

The Jets cycled through a number of unfamiliar faces on defense down the stretch, but one player who quietly impressed was linebacker Mykal Walker. The former Falcons starter appeared in 14 games for the Jets in 2025, making five starts, and put together some strong tape over the final weeks of the season.

Walker incredibly finished as a top-10 graded linebacker in the NFL over the final five weeks of the season, earning a strong 78.4 overall PFF grade and an outstanding 83.3 tackling grade from Weeks 14 through 18.

Walker was also a standout special teamer, playing 81 percent of the Jets’ special-teams snaps and leading the team with nine special-teams tackles. He deserves a spot back on the roster as a depth linebacker in 2026.

5. TE Stone Smartt

Another quiet special-teams ace who flew under the radar in 2025 was tight end Stone Smartt. The Jets signed Smartt with hopes he could contribute as a receiving threat, but he was largely an afterthought on offense, playing just 85 total snaps, most of which came late in the season.

That said, Smartt made a significant impact on special teams, serving as a key blocker on both kick and punt return units while also recording three tackles on just 19 coverage snaps.

The Jets would be wise not only to re-sign Smartt this offseason, but also to make a concerted effort to get him more involved as a potential mismatch on offense in 2026. He was clearly underutilized by the previous offensive staff.