The Jets’ Jeremy Ruckert situation demands attention

Ruckert had not shown much of note over his first two NFL seasons, either. In 24 games, he caught 17 passes for 159 yards and no touchdowns while being hit-or-miss as a blocker. After a disappointing showing in his third campaign, things were not looking up for his NFL future.

However, with Conklin set for free agency, Ruckert was on track to be the Jets’ top tight end on the depth chart going into the 2025 league year. Given his struggles in 2024 and his lack of progress across three seasons after being drafted, it seemed obvious that the Jets needed to add not one but two tight ends—perhaps even three, as Ruckert’s numbers were so poor that it could be argued he had played himself out of a roster spot.

Yet, the Jets stayed complacent at the tight end position in free agency. Entering the draft, their only additions of note were a pair of cheap one-year deals with Stone Smartt and fullback/tight end Andrew Beck.

New York finally made a big swing at tight end by drafting LSU’s Mason Taylor in the second round. Boasting NFL-ready receiving skills, Taylor was immediately penciled-in as the Jets’ new TE1.

But Ruckert still stuck out like a sore thumb in that TE2 spot.

Seven rounds and multiple months passed by, and the Jets didn’t do anything to strengthen their depth at tight end. There was speculation that Beck, despite his fullback label, was intended to be the Jets’ true TE2, but when camp rolled around, Beck was used in a traditional fullback role, and it became clear that Ruckert was indeed the Jets’ projected TE2.

Ruckert did not do much in the preseason to justify the Jets’ faith in him. Across three appearances, he struggled as a blocker, earning a 51.4 run-blocking grade and a 43.5 pass-blocking grade. It was also notable that Ruckert played 12 snaps in the Jets’ third preseason game, a week typically reserved for players who have not secured their role or roster spot.

Unsurprisingly, Ruckert made the Jets’ 53-man roster. However, the Jets claimed fellow 2022 third-round tight end Jelani Woods off waivers, a player who had battled injuries, but offered a better on-field track record than Ruckert. While it was unrealistic to expect Woods to be integrated into the offense immediately, it seemed inevitable that he would overtake Ruckert at some point.

That hasn’t happened. Entering Week 12, Woods has played just one snap (a game-ending kneeldown in Cincinnati), while Ruckert has played in all 10 games (eight starts) while averaging a career-high 25.4 snaps per game.

Has Ruckert earned the right to maintain his TE2 role? Or are the Jets being stubborn?

There’s a clear answer to that question.

Jeremy Ruckert’s 2025 production

While it would be a stretch to label the 2025 season as a “breakout year” for Ruckert, he has improved markedly off his 2024 production. He has reached a level of performance that is justifiable for a TE2.

As a receiver, Ruckert is having his most reliable year in the NFL. He hasn’t been explosive or dynamic by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s catching most of the passes thrown to him, which is all you can ask for from a TE2 who handles a low volume of targets.

The Long Islander has caught 14 of his 16 targets for 119 yards, one touchdown, and five first downs. He owns career highs in catch rate (87.5%), success rate (62.5%), yards per target (7.4), yards per route run (1.32), and yards per game (11.9).

Compare those rates to his previous career averages: 67.3% catch rate, 46.2% success rate, 5.1 yards per target, 0.83 yards per route run, and 6.4 yards per game.

Again, we’re not talking about a “breakout year” here, but this is noticeable progress. It’s enough for Ruckert to be a viable option in the role he is playing.

Along with his receiving improvement, Ruckert has improved as a blocker, even if he still isn’t a world-beater.

At PFF, Ruckert has earned a 58.2 run-blocking grade, good enough for 51st out of 88 qualified tight ends. His pass-blocking grade is a similar 57.5.

Ruckert is still inconsistent as a blocker, but it’s common to see positive flashes on his film, as opposed to last year, when those were few and far between.

None of this is to say that Ruckert has suddenly emerged as a core building block for the Jets. There are still warts in his game. His lows as a blocker are very low, and as a receiver, he still doesn’t have the most reliable pair of hands.

Jeremy Ruckert’s long-term outlook with the Jets

Ruckert has done enough so far to justify the Jets’ scrutinized decision to pencil him in as their TE2. It’s a credit to both Ruckert’s individual effort and the Jets’ coaching staff for the work they have done with him.

With unrestricted free agency on the horizon for Ruckert in 2026, he finds himself at a crossroads entering the final seven games of 2025.

While Ruckert has improved, he has not been impressive enough to establish himself as a “must-keep” for the Jets. Flush with cap space and draft picks, New York can probably find an upgrade over Ruckert in the offseason. The Jets would be remiss not to look for one, given how weak their passing game is.

Plus, since the Jets’ offensive scheme prefers to utilize multi-tight end packages, they might be attracted to the idea of building a formidable one-two punch with Mason Taylor, rather than settling for a merely “decent” TE2 like Ruckert. This mold is best exemplified by the Ravens’ 12 personnel-heavy scheme, which has thrived behind the Mark Andrews-Isaiah Likely duo over the past few years.

Ruckert can use these next seven games to elevate himself from a respectable TE2 to an appealing piece of the Jets’ long-term plans. For now, he projects as a free agent that the Jets would probably love to have back at an affordable price to compete for a roster spot, but not somebody the Jets would make an all-out push to keep.

With more than 40% of the season remaining, it’s still possible that Ruckert could regress to his 2024 level, rendering him a player the Jets wouldn’t mind losing. His progress to date has been noticeable, but there is a long way to go for him to sustain that production over a full season.

Ultimately, Ruckert has been a far more respectable player for the Jets than many expected, but he still has his work cut out for him if he wants to convince the Jets to bring him back, especially as the TE2.