Jets News: Former All-Pro Returner Set to Try Out With Team

The NFL return game is going to massively change in 2024, and teams are preparing for the new format by bringing in Pro Bowl and All-Pro return specialists. The New York Jets are one of those teams, as they are set to bring in former two-time All-Pro returner Jakeem Grant for a tryout.

Read more: NFL News: Breakdown of Wild Proposed Kickoff Rule for 2024 Season

Tom Pelissero announced the tryout on X, stating, “Two-time All-Pro return man Jakeem Grant will participate in the #Jets minicamp this week on a tryout basis, per source.”

Grant was initially drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. A wide receiver and return specialist from Texas Tech, Grant impressed during his pro day, posting 4.42 and 4.38 40-yard dash times.

The Dolphins used Grant in pass-catching plays but was mostly used as a return specialist. He set three franchise records for longest punt return (88 yards), three career punt returns for a touchdown, and five returns for a touchdown. He notched a second-team All-Pro honor in 2020, posting 852 all-purpose yards and a punt return touchdown.

In the 2021 season, Grant was named to second-team All-Pro and the Pro Bowl for securing 1,013 all-purpose yards and another punt return touchdown while playing for the Dolphins and Bears. Grant was traded to the Bears for a sixth-round pick in Oct. 2021, cutting his season in half between both teams.

Grant would sign a three-year contract with the Browns in 2022 after his half-year stint with the Bears, but he tore his Achilles tendon in practice, which ended his season. In 2023, Grant went down with a knee injury in the final game of preseason. Test results later determined he ruptured his patellar tendon, also ending his 2023 season prematurely.

Grant has not played in a regular season game since 2021, but the hope is his injuries are behind him. With the new kickoff format leading to many teams trying out kickoff specialists, it’s not a surprise the Jets are going to take a look at Grant.

Before he had back-to-back season-ending injuries, Grant was one of the speediest return specialists. His two-time All-Pro selections and Pro Bowl selection are a testament to his ability to break tackles and zip past defenders.

Should Grant still be in shape, the Jets could use him solely for returns, which are set to be ramped up in the 2024 season. The new format has led many teams to strategize how they can capitalize on returns, including using defenders in a more gunner-type role. Either way, the team might have a jump on the new return game by bringing in a former All-Pro.