Stony Brook Football alumnus Will Tye was cut from the New York Jets on Wednesday after playing in three games and catching four passes this season. Tye has cleared waivers and become a free agent.
Tye was cut from the New York Giants roster and claimed by the Jets on waivers before the season began. The 25-year-old tight end played in the first three games of the season for the Jets but was inactive on Sunday in the team’s overtime win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jets tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins totaled nine catches for 77 yards in weeks three and four after serving a two-game suspension for a DUI arrest last September. The Jets also have second-year Eric Tomlinson and rookie Jordan Leggett to rely on at the tight end position. Leggett has yet to play due to a lingering knee injury.
The Jets are evaluating the readiness of wide receiver Jalin Marshall, who could take Tye’s place on the roster this week. Marshall returned to practice after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy.
Tye’s replacement on the Giants, rookie Evan Engram, has 19 receptions for 200 yards and a touchdown through four games this season. Engram’s backup, Rhett Ellison, has five catches for 41 yards.
The tight end played in 29 games and caught 90 passes for 858 yards and four touchdowns in his two years with the Giants. He was 22nd in receiving yards among tight ends in the 2015-16 season and 26th in 2016-17.
He was the first Stony Brook Football player to play in the NFL. After transferring from Florida State, Tye spent 2013 and 2014 with the Seawolves, logging 79 receptions for 1,015 yards and nine touchdowns.
Tye was signed by the Jets on Sept. 3, one day after being cut by the Giants. However, this unfolded the weekend before the season began when team’s were looking to add the final pieces to their season-opening roster. Tye could not be reached for comment prior to publishing.
