Thomas Hennessy fends off UDFA to remain longest-tenured Jet in flurry of roster moves

The New York Jets have had the same long snapper for the last nine years, with local hero Thomas Hennessy serving faithfully at the position every year since 2017.

This past spring, the Jets signed long snapper Garrison Grimes as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft out of BYU, reportedly one of the most athletic long snappers in NFL history.

Well, New York just cut ties with Grimes, per the team website, signaling they'll be sticking with Hennessy for the 2026 season. A New York native and product of New Jersey's Don Bosco Prep, it will be his tenth NFL season.

In a corresponding move, the Jets signed defensive tackle Ben Barten, who was just recently cut by the New York Giants. Barten was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin following April's draft.

New York Jets cut ties with rookie long snapper, sign defensive tackle

Barten is an intriguing defensive lineman to add to the mix at this point in the summer. The 6-foot-5, 324-pound defender spent his entire collegiate career with the Wisconsin Badgers.

In his final season of college football, he played 360 defensive snaps and recorded 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack.

Barten is also a bit of a combine warrior, recording 33 reps on the bench press. It would have tied for second among all players at the NFL Scouting Combine.

He'll have an uphill climb when it comes to making the final 53-man roster. Barten has several names entrenched in front of him who you can pretty much consider locks to make the team.

T'Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Jowon Briggs, and David Onyemata are practically guaranteed to make the team. Those four will be the key rotational players along New York's defensive line.

2026 fourth-round draft pick Darrell Jackson Jr. is also a safe bet for a roster spot. He's reportedly been impressing in camp with Sweat rehabbing a minor hamstring injury, and the Jets wouldn't cut ties with a rookie so soon after landing him.

If Barten wants to carve out a roster spot for himself this summer, it will be by competing with the likes of Mazi Smith, Payton Page and Jack Heflin, and that's only if the Jets feel they need to carry more than five defensive tackles on the final 53-man roster.

We'll see how he ingratiates himself with the Jets' new defensive coaching staff.

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