One of the premier morning football shows praised a New York Jets special teams contributor.
On “Good Morning Football,” host Jamie Erdahl gave Irvin Charles her game ball of the week. She mentioned that Twitter was freaking out about his performance and suggested that Charles should be honored as a key player for the team. Additionally, the host detailed Charles’s journey to the Jets.
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“He is 27 years old and inexplicably only has two years of the NFL under his belt. One might ask how does that happen? He plays two years at Penn State, takes a year or two off, and then goes to D-II Indiana-Pennslyvania University, the Crimson Hawks. He then takes a year or two off again, signs with the Jets practice squad, and has now been on the roster for two years.
“Robert Saleh calls him an ‘absolute wolf.’ Irv Charles, you are my special team’s game ball for today.”
Irv Charles appreciation post 💚@JamieErdahl | @SwirvingtonTon | @nyjets | #JetUp pic.twitter.com/UhNN2053Gh
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) September 16, 2024
In the Jets’ 24-17 win, Charles had two tackles in punt coverage (holding Tennessee to returns of 0 and -2 yards) and a blocked punt that set up a Greg Zuerlein field goal.
Despite not significantly contributing to the offense, Charles has made a name for himself on special teams. He showed flashes of this potential last season, especially when filling in for veteran Justin Hardee.
In 2024, Charles seems to have taken a big step forward as a gunner for the punt coverage team. He is much more sound in his tackling and is not wildly flying out of his lane. The wideout has combined his aggression with some more patience, becoming a better player as a result. He also has shown the ability to make game-changing plays, such as the blocked punt on Sunday and a forced fumble against the Broncos last season.
It may be sometimes overlooked, but special teams are crucial to winning games in the NFL. If Charles can be an upper-tier player on that unit, the Jets will be in a very good spot to continue stealing games based on his play.
