Jets Transaction Roundup: Adrian Martinez returns, rookie lands on IR, more signings

As the New York Jets wind down their 2025 season, the team continues to churn through the bottom of the roster with a series of low-profile moves. This week, however, one of those transactions stood out more than usual.

A string of bad luck has sent the team's quarterback room into disarray, with undrafted rookie Brady Cook the lone man left standing until Wednesday, when the Jets signed a familiar face to their practice squad.

The Jets also placed one of their 2025 draft picks on the injured reserve, signed a young defensive end to their 53-man roster, and made a couple of other practice squad additions.

Let's break down all of the latest Jets transactions from the last couple of days, with detailed analysis for every move.

New York Jets transactions breakdown for Dec. 10

Jets sign DE Kingsley Jonathan to practice squad

The Jets brought in veteran defensive end Kingsley Jonathan for a workout on Tuesday and proceeded to sign him to their practice squad the same day. Jonathan notably spent the summer with the Jets before being released as part of final roster cuts.

The Syracuse product appeared in all three preseason games for the Jets, posting a 69.5 overall Pro Football Focus grade and racking up three pressures and a sack. Jonathan has played 20 career games across four seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Buffalo Bills.

Jonathan provides a little extra defensive end depth after the Jets lost one of their depth edge rushers to injury in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins. Speaking of which...

Jets place DE Tyler Baron on IR

The Jets placed rookie defensive end Tyler Baron on the injured reserve after the 2025 fifth-round pick suffered a knee injury on Sunday. The severity of the injury is unclear, but it's clearly serious enough to sideline him for the rest of the season.

Baron finishes a highly disappointing rookie year with seven tackles and four pressures in just six games, as the Miami product spent much of the season as a healthy scratch behind the likes of Micheal Clemons and Braiden McGregor.

That's likely not what the Jets envisioned when they traded away a 2026 fifth-round pick to move up for him back in April. Assuming he's healthy, Baron will enter training camp next summer firmly on the roster bubble.

Jets sign DE Eric Watts to 53-man roster

The Jets signed 2024 undrafted free agent Eric Watts to take Baron's place on the 53-man roster. Watts appeared in 14 games for the Jets as a rookie but was unable to make the active roster out of training camp this year.

The Connecticut product was elevated from the practice squad to make his season debut against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13, and he performed reasonably well in a small sample size, posting a 68.6 PFF grade on 16 defensive snaps.

The bar is extraordinarily low for Watts, but the Jets would probably be wise to give him an extended look over the final few weeks of the season over someone like McGregor, who has struggled mightily as a rotational edge rusher this year.

Jets sign QB Adrian Martinez and TE Nick Muse to practice squad

The Jets made two more signings to their practice squad on Wednesday, bringing back quarterback Adrian Martinez and adding a veteran tight end in Nick Muse. Martinez is the far more notable of the two additions.

The former UFL MVP spent the 2024 season on the Jets' practice squad and competed with Brady Cook for the QB3 job this summer before ultimately losing out. He was quickly scooped up by the 49ers, which is where he spent the majority of the season before he was released on Tuesday, presumably to pursue an opportunity with the Jets.

Martinez gives the Jets much-needed quarterback insurance with Tyrod Taylor (groin) and Justin Fields (knee) both nursing injuries. Cook received first-team reps in practice on Wednesday, as neither Taylor nor Fields participated. Martinez could be elevated as QB2 if both are unable to play on Sunday.

As for Muse, the 27-year-old was a seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2022 NFL Draft, although he just missed crossing paths with Rick Spielman, who is currently a senior football advisor for Darren Mougey and the Jets.

Both Mason Taylor (neck) and Stone Smartt (concussion) missed practice on Wednesday, leaving the Jets a little thin at tight end. The only other tight ends under contract with the team are Jeremy Ruckert and Jelani Woods. Muse is the lone practice squad tight end.