The Jets have placed LT Tyron Smith on injured reserve. The team also activated OL Xavier Newman off IR and elevated RB Kene Nwangwu to the active roster for Sunday's matchup versus Seattle.
Smith (6-5, 320) signed with the Jets last offseason after 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He started 10 games this season before sustaining a neck injury against the Cardinals in Week 10 that forced him to miss New York's Week 11 matchup with Indianapolis. Smith, a first-round pick (No. 9) in 2011 out of USC, has started 171 games and put together one of the most decorated careers by a left tackle in NFL history. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team of the 2010s, Smith has received 8 Pro Bowl selections, 2 First-Team All-Pro selections and 3 Second-Team nods.
Newman (6-2, 297) sustained a neck injury against the Steelers in Week 7 and was placed on IR on Oct. 23 at the start of Week 8. He has missed the last 4 games after playing 11 snaps on offense over the first 7 weeks. He first joined the Jets practice squad last season and before he was signed to the active roster. Newman, who originally signed with Tennessee as an undrafted free agent out of Baylor in 2022, has appeared in 14 games over the last two seasons for the Green & White and has taken 291 snaps on offense and 48 on special teams.
Nwangwu (6-1, 210) signed with Jets practice squad in September. He has spent all three years of his NFL career with the Vikings after Minnesota drafted him in the fourth round out of Iowa State in 2021. A return specialist, he led the league with 2 return scores as a rookie. His 35 returns in the 2022 season also led the NFL. Nwangwu has 3 return TDs in as many seasons and has a career 27.6 kick return average. He's taken 60 snaps on offense in 37 games (27 carries for 88 yards) and 326 snaps on special teams.
