NY Jets: 4 biggest disappointments of 2021 training camp so far

2. Chris Herndon, TE, NY Jets

We've all heard this story before. This is the year that Chris Herndon finally puts it all together and recaptures the magic of his rookie season.

We heard it last year as the former fourth-round pick was due to return from injury. We even heard it in 2019 as Herndon was expected to excel in Adam Gase's system (yes, that was a popular narrative at the time).

That narrative carried over into the next regime as there was once again optimism that Herndon would return to prominence in a Mike LaFleur system that has been kind to tight ends in the past.

But instead of soaring to new heights, Herndon has sunken lower than he ever has with the Jets.

Herndon entered OTAs as the de facto starter, but by the end of minicamp, he was working mostly with the second team. That trend has continued this summer.

The likes of Tyler Kroft, Ryan Griffin, and Herndon have split reps between the first and second-team offenses. None of them have particularly impressed, but Kroft has emerged as the best of the underwhelming trio.

If Herndon can't beat out a journeyman blocking tight end for the starting job in a scheme that's supposed to maximize his skill set, where do you go from there?

It might be time to let this pipedream die. Chris Herndon needs a change of scenery — and the Jets need a new tight end.