As the New York Jets seek their first playoff appearance since 2010, three of the players who contributed to that AFC championship run are hand for practice in Florham Park.
According to Jets X-Factor’s Robby Sabo, linebacker Bart Scott, safety Eric Smith, and fullback Tony Richardson are present for Saturday’s padded practice.
Scott and Richardson played 16 games apiece for the 2010 squad, while Smith played in 13 games. Scott recorded 81 tackles, Smith added 54, and Richardson picked up 44 yards from scrimmage while mostly functioning as a blocker.
So far, the old heads seem to have inspired some juice in the team’s offense. Geno Smith connected with Isaiah Williams for a 50-plus yard touchdown, per Sabo.
The Jets have high hopes for the modern-day counterparts of Scott, Smith, and Richardson.
Scott joined the Jets as a veteran linebacker in 2009, his eighth NFL season after seven years in Baltimore. Demario Davis is just a tad more experienced, as he is entering his 15th year, but the Jets hope that Davis’ leadership and intensity will have the same impact that Scott’s arrival had in 2009.
Smith was a late third-round pick by the Jets in 2006 and played all seven of his NFL seasons with the team. New York would love to see a similar success story out of 2025 fourth-round pick Malachi Moore, who is competing to start alongside veteran Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Fullback Andrew Beck hopes to have a similar impact to Richardson during his three seasons with the Jets. In 2025, Beck played 110 offensive snaps across 17 appearances, providing solid blocking along with two receiving touchdowns. He also shone on special teams.
Plenty of Jets legends have come through Florham Park over the first few weeks of training camp. Wayne Chrebet and Laveranues Coles were among them, along with Damien Woody and Victor Green.
