Jets Cut 22-Year-Old 24 Hours After Seahawks Loss

Heavy on Jets

The New York Jets have called an audible at the line of scrimmage 24 after their loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13.

Gang Green announced on social media that they have dumped running back Israel Abanikanda from the 53-man roster. In a corresponding move, the team signed return specialist Kene Nwangwu to the active roster from the practice squad.

Abanikanda Experience Fails for the Jets

The former Pittsburgh product joined the Jets as the No. 143 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Abanikanda, 22, was supposed to bring a different element to the backfield. He measured in at 5-foot-10 and tipped the scales at 216 pounds.

In college, he earned the moniker “Izzy to the Hizzy” for his unique ability to take one to the house. Each year of his collegiate run, Abanikanda exponentially got better statistically as his role increased.

In 2023, Abanikanda scored 20 rushing touchdowns, ran for 1,431 rushing yards, and averaged six yards per carry.

Jets reporter Eric Allen revealed that the team was “flipping backward” when they turned in the draft card for Abanikanda.

For whatever reason the Jets’ vision for Abanikanda never translated to the football field. During his season and a half with the team, Abanikanda toted the rock 22 times for 70 rushing yards and he never scored a touchdown.

The coaching staff called him out on a handful of occasions as a rookie for struggling as a pass blocker. Abanikanda never got on the field for the Jets this season.

ESPN’s Rich Cimini said there is a chance Abanikanda will return to the team if he clears waivers. The 31 other teams in the NFL will have a chance to claim him off of waivers which would put him on a 53-man roster. If that doesn’t happen, the Jets could sign him to the practice squad.

Jets Had No Choice With This Roster Move

Abanikanda was cryogenically frozen on the Jets’ inactive roster on a week-to-week basis. They replaced him with a guy who made a bigger impact in one game than Abanikanda ever did during his Jets tenure.

Nwangwu has been on the Jets’ practice squad since September, but he hadn’t been elevated throughout the season until Week 13 against the Seahawks.

In that first opportunity with the Jets, he made a massive impact. He took a kick return 99 yards to the house and forced a fumble on another kickoff to give the Jets offense a short field.

However because the Jets only elevated him from the practice squad, Nwangwu was scheduled to revert back to the practice squad this week.

The last time the Jets did that they lost their starting kicker Spencer Shrader to the Kansas City Chiefs. Gang Green wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

This time around they signed him to the 53-man roster after his breakout performance to ensure no one else would steal him away later this week.

While he is listed as a running back on the roster sheet, the Jets will exclusively use him as a return specialist.