Jets fans furious after team brings back familiar face nobody wanted

The New York Jets have cycled through a number of different options in the return game this season, but perhaps none were more harmful to the team than Isaiah Williams.

That's why it came as little surprise when the Jets opted to release Williams following his disastrous Week 4 performance a week ago. Williams fumbled the opening kickoff in the second half against Miami and later called for a fair catch on a punt that would've landed at his own two-yard line.

This came after a string of unimpressive performances in the two subsequent games he played with the team. Jets fans were ecstatic to see their favorite team move forward in a different direction following Williams' disasterclass of a stint with the organization.

But just days after releasing Williams, the Jets have inexplicably brought him back. The team announced on Monday that they had re-signed Williams to their practice squad after the veteran wide receiver cleared waivers.

Why? No one knows.

Jets inexplicably re-sign Isaiah Williams to practice squad despite Week 4 blunders

Williams was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster in his three games with the Jets. He averaged just 23 yards per kick return, while his series of mistakes in Week 4 should have been enough for the team to cut bait and never look back.

Not only did Williams fumble the opening kick of the second half, but he also made the costly mistake of fielding it as it was about to bounce out of bounds — a play that would have instead given the Jets possession at their own 40-yard line.

Nothing about Williams' performances indicated he was a capable NFL-caliber return specialist, which is why the Jets released him after the game in the first place. His replacement, Avery Williams, didn't exactly impress the following week, but at least he held onto the football.

Jets fans were understandably furious to see Williams brought back to the practice squad, with many calling it a pointless move and a waste of a roster spot. What more could the Jets need to see?

The Jets are hopeful that All-Pro kick returner Kene Nwangwu could return to the field as soon as this Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Nwangwu has missed the last four games due to a hamstring injury, and the team's return game has been a complete mess in his absence.

Xavier Gipson fumbled away Week 1 and was subsequently released. Braelon Allen was bafflingly asked to return kicks, only to suffer a serious knee injury that could sideline him for the rest of the 2025 season.

Eight different players have returned kickoffs for the Jets in just five games this season, and Williams has almost undoubtedly been the worst of the bunch. It's indefensible to waste a practice squad spot on him, given what he's put on tape this year.

The new Jets regime has made quite a few puzzling personnel decisions over the last couple of months, but this one, even if small, might be the most egregious of them all.