Frank Reich quietly hinted at the Jets' newest breakout candidate

Amid last year’s many disasters, at least New York Jets tight end Jeremy Ruckert finally found a role.

Ruckert quietly set career highs in catches and receiving yards. He played 47% of the Jets’ offensive snaps, up from 37% the year before.

Ruckert, a 2022 third-round pick, also caught his first career touchdown in a Week 2 loss to Buffalo.

Don’t let Kenyon Sadiq’s arrival, coupled with Mason Taylor’s presence, fool you into thinking Ruckert won’t contribute this year.

Jeremy Ruckert could quietly take another step forward in 2026

The only way that Ruckert’s receiving numbers will skyrocket is if injuries ravage the tight end room.

Ruckert isn’t on the roster for his pass-catching, though.

The Jets gave Ruckert a two-year, $10 million extension last December in large part because of his blocking ability.

Ruckert will fit right at home in Frank Reich’s offense, then.

As ESPN’s Rich Cimini pointed out, the Jets are likely to use more two-tight end sets under Reich.

That is good news for both Ruckert and star running back Breece Hall, especially after his recent contract extension.

Hall, who turns 25 later this month, rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards last year. Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis also remain on the roster and should compete for additional snaps.

“Listen, it's certainly going to be no secret or surprise to say that we're going to want to run the football, and so we'll continue to emphasize that,” Reich said.

The question becomes what Ruckert’s final receiving numbers will look like.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Ruckert certainly has the size to become a red-zone threat.

Then again, the cliché is that there are only so many catches to go around. Sadiq needs immediate targets because the Jets just invested a first-round pick in him.

Taylor had 44 catches as a rookie and is a legitimate breakout candidate.

At least Ruckert has an offensive coordinator who loves having multiple tight ends on the field.

Come Week 1, we’ll see if Geno Smith feels the same way.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow