The New York Jets are keeping one of their own.
Gang Green announced on social media that they have re-signed tight end Jelani Woods. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Woods was set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11.
The former Oklahoma State and Virginia product initially joined the Jets via waivers during final roster cuts in August of 2025. He is listed at 6-foot-7 and weighs 253 pounds.
A Coaching Connection
Woods, 27, entered the league as the No. 73 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts.
Frank Reich, now the Jets offensive coordinator, was the head coach of the Colts from 2018-22. He was part of the brass that selected Woods during that draft and was with him for the first nine games of his rookie season before being fired.
When healthy, Woods has shown flashes of brilliance. Across his four seasons in the pros, Woods has appeared in 19 games and has made three starts. With those opportunities, Woods has hauled in 26 receptions for 316 receiving yards and has scored three touchdowns.
“He missed the 2023 and the 2024 seasons with hamstring and turf toe injuries,” the Jets stated in a press release.
Jets Retain Two Key Cogs on the Defensive Side of the Ball
The Woods re-signing wasn’t the only roster move the team announced on Thursday, March 5.
The Jets also “exercised the exclusive rights tender” for defensive tackle Jowon Briggs and linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball.
“Exclusive rights free agents (ERFAs) are players with fewer than three accrued seasons and expiring contracts. With the Jets exercising their tender rights, neither Briggs nor McCrary-Ball can enter into negotiations with other NFL teams,” the Jets announced in a press release.
Briggs Was a Revelation for the Jets This Past Season
Everyone and their grandmother knew the Jets needed more defensive tackle help last offseason. The Jets still had Quinnen Williams, but there wasn’t much beyond him on the depth chart.
Despite what appeared to be a grand canyon sized hole on the roster, the Jets ignored the defensive tackle position in free agency and the NFL draft.
However, once we got to training camp, it became painfully obvious that the Jets didn’t add enough to the room.
So head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey called an audible at the line of scrimmage. Instead of just sticking to their original plan, they pivoted.
Mougey struck a pair of trades that bolstered the interior defensive line room. He acquired veteran Harrison Phillips from the Minnesota Vikings, and he traded with the Cleveland Browns to acquire Briggs.
Phillips was a steady veteran who provided locker room leadership, but Briggs provided so much more.
Briggs, 24, will turn 25 before the start of the 2026 season. He appeared in all 17 games and made eight starts last year. With those opportunities, Briggs delivered career highs in sacks (four), tackles for loss (eight), and quarterback hits (10).
Briggs is expected to be a big part of the Jets’ defensive tackle rotation in 2026 and beyond.
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