Tim Patrick and the New York Jets had been linked together for quite some time.

Dating back to last March, Patrick’s name was widely floated as a prime free-agent target for the Jets: a big-bodied veteran receiver with a handful of ties to the organization.

He crossed paths with Jets general manager Darren Mougey in Denver, where he played for six seasons with the Broncos. The 32-year-old also overlapped with head coach Aaron Glenn and now-former offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand with the Detroit Lions in 2024.

Now, over a year removed, he signed with the team on a random Wednesday afternoon in May.

While the Jets’ outlook at wide receiver is far different from last offseason, the signing still makes a ton of sense for two reasons.

1. Patrick stabilizes the back end of the WR depth chart

Here is a look at the Jets’ current depth chart at wide receiver, sans Patrick.

  • Garrett Wilson
  • Adanai Mitchell
  • Omar Cooper Jr.
  • Isaiah Williams
  • Arian Smith
  • Quentin Skinner
  • Irvin Charles
  • Jamaal Pritchett
  • Malik McClain (UDFA)
  • Caullin Lacy (UDFA)
  • DT Sheffield (UDFA)

It is a very young and largely unestablished group behind 25-year-old Garrett Wilson. Adonai Mitchell, 23, has shown promising flashes, especially as a separator, but strives to be more consistent. Omar Cooper Jr. is entering his rookie season, but after being selected in the first round, he is expected to be the team’s WR2 behind Wilson.

Cooper Jr.’s ability to play both X and Y receiver positions also brings tremendous value to the room.

After that, there isn’t much to write home about.

Isaiah Williams, the team’s MVP in 2025, is primarily a special teamer. The same could be said about Arian Smith, who struggled to carve out an offensive role in his rookie season with the Jets, despite a flurry of injuries at the position.

Quentin Skinner and Jamaal Pritchett, two UDFAs from 2025, are set to enter their second season. Both showed flashes throughout the preseason and hung around on the team’s practice squad throughout the year before being signed to futures deals in January.

In two seasons with the Jets, Irvin Charles, mainly a gunner, hasn’t been targeted on 53 offensive snaps. As for Malik McClain, Caullin Lacy, and DT Sheffield, each will face an uphill climb to cracking the 53-man roster.

Patrick projects as a steadying force who can come in and stabilize the back end of this depth chart. Signing for around $1.5 million on a one-year deal, Patrick isn’t expected to be a top target getter on the team, but he is a veteran leader who provides proven experience in the room.

2. Patrick can still produce

While he isn’t the player he once was, largely because he missed two consecutive seasons (2022-23) with a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles, Patrick can still deliver solid production given his salary.

In 2025, with the Jaguars, he caught 15 of 24 targets for 187 yards and three touchdowns. He was even better in 2024 with the Lions, posting 394 yards and three TDs across 33 receptions in 16 games (nine starts)

He can also contribute as a run blocker, which is nice to have in an end-of-the-roster WR, logging a 60.0+ run-blocking grade (above league-average) from Pro Football Focus in each of the past three seasons. In 2024, his 64.9 mark ranked sixth among 74 qualified WRs (minimum 200 run-blocking snaps).

Last offseason, instead of bringing in Patrick, the Jets took a similar approach by signing veteran pass-catcher Josh Reynolds.

Reynolds, though, didn’t produce much last year, playing in just five games (three starts) and catching 11 of 21 targets for 101 yards and zero touchdowns.

There is a key difference, though.

When the Jets signed Reynolds last offseason, they essentially expected him to be the WR2 behind Wilson. And he just wasn’t capable of being that—there is no way around it. Therefore, when he struggled to produce at a WR2 level, fans weren’t happy. It was unsurprising and, therefore, poor roster construction to entrust him with a crucial role.

This time around, however, the Jets aren’t bringing in Patrick to be the WR2—they are adding him to be a depth piece in a young position room who can help mentor the young bucks in front of him.