Jets Placing DT T’Vondre Sweat On IR

Sweat, a second-round pick out of Texas in 2024, spent his first two years of NFL play in Tennessee, forming a once-formidable defensive front alongside star interior defender Jeffery Simmons. Both players have now been dealt by the Titans, but the two-season sample showed plenty of what Sweat was capable of as an NFL starter.

Sweat began his career on the first-team defensive line in Tennessee, starting 16 of 17 contests and logging 51 total tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, and three quarterback hits. He was limited to only 12 games in Year 2 as he dealt with a nagging ankle injury to start the season, but he was still able to total two sacks, four tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in five fewer games than his rookie campaign.

While, as a top 1-tech option, Sweat’s stats don’t jump off the page, analytically, he’s considered one of the league’s more effective defenders. As a rookie, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the 15th-best interior defender out of 118 players graded at the position. In his sophomore campaign, Sweat elevated his status, becoming the site’s fifth-best defensive tackle out of 127.

So far in New York this year, Sweat has been a lone bright spot of an injury-plagued group. David Bailey and Kingsley Enagbare have held their own on the ends, but on the interior, Sweat’s ranking as the 20th-best defensive tackle this year soars above those of rookie Darrell Jackson Jr. (56th) and veterans Harrison Phillips (103rd) and Jowon Briggs (115th).

Sweat now joins defensive tackle David Onyemata and defensive end Braiden McGregor on IR, wihle defensive end Tyler Baron remains on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. In the meantime, defensive ends Joseph Ossai and Bailey have been dealing with injuries on a week-to-week basis, as well.

To fill Sweat’s vacated spot on the 53-man roster, the Jets are signing former Clemson defensive tackle Payton Page from the practice squad. Offensive tackle Brant Banks and edge rusher Quinton Bell will be joining Page on the active roster as standard gameday practice squad elevations. Unlike Page, though, they will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s game.