NY Jets dump returner Isaiah Williams after Miami debacle

If you had a nickel for every time the 2025 New York Jets released a returner for costing them a game, you would have 10 cents. It isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

According to a report from ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared on Saturday afternoon, the Jets are releasing wide receiver/kick returner Isaiah Williams. In a corresponding move, they are signing linebacker Mykal Walker off the practice squad.

Cimini also reported that the Jets will elevate safety Dean Clark and running back Avery Williams from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against Dallas.

Who replaces Isaiah Williams?

The Jets initially signed Williams as a replacement for Xavier Gipson, who was cut after fumbling away a kick return in New York’s season-opening loss to Pittsburgh. Williams proved to be just as detrimental an option. In last week’s loss to Miami, Williams lost a fumble on a kick return and fair caught a punt at the three-yard line.

It remains to be seen who will replace Williams on special teams. The other two players deployed as kick returners against Miami were Isaiah Davis and Braelon Allen, the latter of whom has been placed on injured reserve. Davis will likely continue to be used in the role, but the Jets will need a second player to step up in place of Allen.

When healthy, the Jets will likely turn back to return specialist Kene Nwangwu, who started at kick returner in Week 1. Nwangwu has missed the last three games due to a hamstring injury, but he was listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, although he did not practice throughout the week.

If Nwangwu does not return on Sunday, the Jets could go with rookie wide receiver Arian Smith, who has played five snaps as a kick returner this season (logging one return attempt). They could also use newly signed running back Khalil Herbert, who has returned 36 kicks in his career, or practice squad elevation Avery Williams, a fifth-year running back who has returned 54 career kicks.

The other question is who will replace Isaiah Williams as the punt returner. He and Gipson are the only players to field a punt for the Jets this season.

The most likely choice is Avery Williams. He is the only player on New York’s roster who has returned a punt in the regular season. The 2021 fifth-round pick returned 58 punts across four 49 games in Atlanta, averaging a solid 10.9 yards per return (eighth-best among 25 players with 50+ punt returns since 2021).

New York signed Avery Williams to its practice squad on Friday, likely anticipating him playing on Sunday after the impending release of Isaiah Williams. Avery brings a respectable track record of ball security on a large sample size, fumbling twice in his career across 161 total return chances (54 kick returns, 58 punt returns, and 49 fair catches). He has never muffed a punt.

Linebacker Mykal Walker will replace Isaiah Williams on the Jets’ active roster. A 2020 fourth-round pick of the Falcons, Walker debuted for the Jets in last week’s loss to Miami, making one tackle across 16 snaps on special teams.

Undrafted rookie safety Dean Clark will be called up from the Jets’ practice squad for the third straight game. The Fresno State and Kent State product has made two tackles across 27 special teams snaps.

Practice squad players may only be called up to the active roster a maximum of three times in a season, which means that New York must sign Clark to the active roster for him to appear in another game after Week 5.