Every year, players get cut from a team which makes people take a step back and wonder how their favorite team could ever let that player go.
The Jets certainly did not lack in that department, as they had a couple of cuts that certainly took fans aback for a moment. Here are some of the most surprising cuts made by the Jets as they finalized their initial 53-man roster for 2022.
Safety Jason Pinnock
Pinnock may have been the biggest shocker of all the cuts. Pinnock started three games last season for the Jets shortly after making the transition from cornerback to safety. Even during camp this year, Pinnock was always running at least with the second team and saw first-team reps while Lamarcus Joyner was out with an illness.
Pinnock seemed like a lock for the third safety position behind Joyner and Jordan Whitehead. He seemed destined for more playing time. The Jets may very well be hoping Pinnock will sneak through the waiver wire and they’ll be able to stash him on the practice squad on Wednesday.
Safety Will Parks
The Jets cut two safeties on Tuesday and they certainly weren’t the two many thought they would be. If Pinnock was the most-surprising cut, Parks was a close second.
Parks had seemed to beat out Ashtyn Davis for the fourth safety position, based on his playing time during Sunday’s preseason finale against the Giants. As it turned out, the Jets kept Davis and Tony Adams, whom the Jets became high on as an undrafted free agent, while letting go of Parks.
The Jets may hope to get Parks on their practice squad, but Parks is certainly a candidate to be claimed by another team.
DL Bradlee Anae
The Jets went with seven defensive ends on their initial roster. It isn’t crazy to think Anae would have been No. 8.
Anae was improving and had a strong showing in the preseason, including the fumble recovery for a touchdown against the Falcons. He showed flashes as a rotational edge-defender. But the Jets also have two rookies that they are very high on in Jermaine Johnson and Micheal Clemons.
He’ll likely return to the Jets on the practice squad and may very well get called up to the active roster at times this season.
RB Tevin Coleman
Tevin Coleman was a little banged up at the start of camp, but the feeling after was that Coleman was at least going to be the third running back, with either Ty Johnson or Zonovan Knight as the fourth, if the Jets kept four backs.
Well, the Jets did keep four backs, but they kept both Johnson and Knight and let the veteran go. The Jets may bring Coleman, who had re-signed with the Jets back in March, back down the line if need be.
QB Chris Streveler
This one certainly ruffled a few feathers of Jets fans. A lot of people wanted the Jets to keep Streveler over Mike White after what Robert Saleh dubbed “the greatest preseason in the history of football.” At the very least, those folks wanted the Jets to keep all four quarterbacks.
Many started to feel Streveler gave the Jets a little more upside at the position than White did, but the Jets still have hopes for White as the long-term backup to Zach Wilson. The Jets will likely try to stash Streveler on the practice squad.
