The New York Jets made several significant roster changes just hours before their Thursday night matchup against the Houston Texans. Among these moves, wide receiver Allen Lazard was placed on injured reserve, and the team signed kicker Riley Patterson from the practice squad.
Alongside Lazard’s placement on IR, defensive tackle Leki Fotu also joined him after dealing with a knee injury. In a corresponding move, the Jets added offensive lineman Alec Lindstrom to the active roster while releasing tight end Anthony Firkser. Interestingly, tight end Kenny Yeboah was activated from injured reserve as part of these adjustments.
To bolster their secondary, the Jets elevated defensive backs Kendall Sheffield and Jarius Monroe from the practice squad. Additionally, they signed defensive end Takk McKinley to the practice squad as another layer of depth.
Lazard had been ruled out for the game due to a chest injury sustained during a match against Pittsburgh on October 20. Despite his absence, he has been a key contributor to the team, ranking third with 30 receptions and leading the team in touchdown catches with five, totaling 412 receiving yards.
Patterson’s addition comes as a response to kicker Greg Zuerlein’s struggles and subsequent placement on injured reserve due to a non-kicking left knee injury. Zuerlein had faced difficulties this season, missing six out of fifteen field goal attempts.
In a competitive situation this week, Patterson ultimately outperformed at least six other kickers who trialed with the team. He had previously attended training camp with Washington and boasts an impressive record, having successfully completed 59 of 67 field-goal attempts across 39 NFL games, having played for teams such as Detroit, Jacksonville, and Cleveland.
The Jets decided to bring Patterson and rookie Spencer Shrader onto their practice squad, ultimately opting to name Patterson their kicker for the upcoming game against the Texans. Meanwhile, Fotu is continuing to recover from injuries that caused him to miss the initial five games of the season. After playing in two games, he re-aggravated his knee while facing Pittsburgh.