The Jets made an interesting addition to their practice squad on Monday, signing former Minnesota Vikings running back and kick returner Kene Nwangwu, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Nwangwu was waived by the Vikings as part of their roster cuts on Aug. 27, and while he was claimed by the New Orleans Saints, he was waived again the next day after failing his physical.
A fourth-round pick out of Iowa State in 2021, Nwangwu has seen action solely as a kick returner during his three-year NFL career, but he’s been one of the best returners in the NFL when healthy.
After returning two kickoffs for touchdowns as a rookie, Nwangwu had his best season in 2022, when he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors thanks to his 920 kick return yards and one touchdown. Last season, Nwangwu started the year on IR due to a back injury, leading to him playing just nine games.
With the NFL implementing the new “dynamic kickoff,” the Jets have seemingly not been able to find the right returner. The team signed Tarik Cohen in the spring, but he ultimately decided to retire.
As of now, Xavier Gipson looks to be the team’s top kick and punt return option, but Gipson could also have a bigger role on offense this season as a slot receiver. That means Robert Saleh and the coaching staff may not want to have him risk getting injured as a returner.
