As Week 2 approaches, the New York Jets’ wide receiver room has become depleted by injuries.
Tim Patrick was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 1, while first-round rookie Omar Cooper Jr. sustained an ankle injury on Sunday and is expected to miss multiple games.
Given that, the team signed veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard to their practice squad on Tuesday.
While he is currently just on the practice squad, Shepard could have a bigger role over the next couple of weeks than some might expect.
Shepard’s potential role with the Jets
The 2026 season marks Shepard’s 11th in the NFL after the New York Giants selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft. He spent eight seasons with Big Blue, hauling in 372 receptions for 4,095 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Shepard spent the past two seasons (2024-25) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Throughout those two seasons, Shepard caught 71 of his 104 targets (68.3%) for 705 yards and two touchdowns.
For the 2025 season, Shephard appeared in 13 games while reeling in 39 of his 53 targets (73.6%) for 371 yards (9.5 YPR) and one touchdown. He had one drop, caught five of 11 contested targets (45.5%), and forced five missed tackles.
This summer, he spent just over a week with the Houston Texans before being released ahead of cutdown day.
For a multitude of reasons, though, Shepard could carve out a niche within Gang Green’s offense as Cooper and Patrick are sidelined.
First off, he can provide depth in multiple packages. Last season in Tampa Bay, he ran 49% of his routes from the slot and 51% out wide. That versatility should help, as the injuries to Parick, a big-bodied blocker outside, and Cooper, an elusive threat from the slot, have left the Jets with two different roles to fill.
That experience is valuable.
There could also be an opening at the bottom of the depth chart, even with the injuries in mind. Arian Smith’s ugly Week 1 drop after a rough summer certainly did not help his case for more offensive snaps. His saving grace remains on special teams, which could keep him active even if the coaching staff doesn’t trust him as a receiver.
That creates an interesting opportunity for Shepard. He could enter game day (assuming he is elevated) as high as the fourth wide receiver in the Jets’ pecking order for targets.
Placing him ahead of Isaiah Williams immediately would be a stretch, but still, the veteran was productive enough over the past few seasons to show that he still has something left.
Given the Jets’ current situation, Shepard is likely to get an opportunity, and it could be bigger than some expect.
