Jets add one more twist to their WR room ahead of Week 1 vs Steelers

The New York Jets made quite a few surprising — and some would argue controversial — wide receiver moves following the conclusion of the preseason last summer. Perhaps the most shocking move was the decision to release Tyler Johnson.

Johnson had worked with the first-team offense for most of the summer and was expected to play an important role in the team's receiving corps in 2025. That's why it was quite the stunner when Johnson was let go shortly after roster cuts.

The Jets immediately re-signed the former Los Angeles Rams wideout to their practice squad, but it was still a surprise to many who expected Johnson to be a part of the offense. As it turns out, he might still be.

The Jets announced on Saturday that they had elevated Johnson from the practice squad for Sunday's Week 1 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That means Johnson will be playing in Week 1 after all.

Jets elevate Tyler Johnson from practice squad for Week 1

Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Jets in March as one of head coach Aaron Glenn's hand-picked free-agent additions. The former Minnesota star reportedly made a strong impression on Glenn in his game against the Detroit Lions last season, which helped convince Glenn to bring him to Florham Park.

After two years of bouncing around practice squads, Johnson re-emerged as a surprise contributor for the Rams last season, hauling in 26 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown. The advanced numbers paint the picture of a player who might be better than the raw box score numbers would indicate, too.

Johnson has caught 13-of-19 contested-catch opportunities in his NFL career per Pro Football Focus. He wasn't credited with a single drop on 39 targets last year and hasn't dropped a pass since the 2021 season.

You can absolutely make a case that Johnson is one of the two or three best wide receivers under contract with the Jets right now. Of course, that's not saying much, considering who his competition is, but that's partially what adds to the surprise of his late-summer release.

The real reason, however, has more to do with supplemental value beyond contributing as a wide receiver. Johnson doesn't have the versatility to contribute on special teams, having played just 10 total special-teams snaps over the last three years.

If you aren't expected to be one of your team's top three wide receivers entering a season, you usually have to contribute on special teams to earn a role on the 53-man roster. That proved to be his shortcoming.

Every other wideout on the roster has a defined role with the team. Garrett Wilson is the superstar. Josh Reynolds is the savvy veteran WR2 Z receiver. Allen Lazard is the blocking specialist/potential big slot. Arian Smith is the field-stretcher. Xavier Gipson is the punt returner/backup slot receiver.

The Jets clearly still have a role in mind for Johnson, but they weren't willing to use a 53-man roster spot on him — at least not yet. The team will have an opportunity to elevate Johnson two more times this season.

Tyler Johnson is back on the Jets’ game-day roster, and his release proved to be little more than a roster-management maneuver.

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