Jets’ Josh Reynolds says he is ‘blessed’ to be taking part in after tough 12 months that included being shot

The failed stint with Denver. A hand damage that landed him on injured reserve. The bullet wounds on his head and arm from an early morning capturing. His comeback from his accidents. His transient keep in Jacksonville.

The New York Jets extensive receiver would moderately preserve that every one prior to now now and deal with his new alternative.

“I’m blessed, you know?” Reynolds mentioned Tuesday after observe throughout organized workforce actions. “I’m blessed to be here, blessed to still be playing. So, I’m going to take it one day at a time and continue to get better.”

At 30, Reynolds is among the Jets’ oldest gamers after New York’s new regime underneath basic supervisor Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn centered on revamping the roster and infusing youth. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who turns 36 in August, is the workforce’s oldest participant, adopted by lengthy snapper Thomas Hennessy, who turns 31 subsequent Wednesday, after which Reynolds.

Garrett Wilson is the Jets’ No. 1 extensive receiver, however the workforce is in search of a complementary No. 2 — and Reynolds is in that blend, together with Allen Lazard, Tyler Johnson, Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley and rookie Arian Smith, amongst others.

“I’m here for whatever they need me for,” Reynolds mentioned. “If it’s 2, if it’s 3, I mean, I’m here to help the team win.”

The reality he is even right here now, although, is in some ways a victory in itself.

Reynolds, a fourth-round choose by the Rams out of Texas A&M in 2017, signed final offseason with Denver — the place Mougey was the assistant GM — and caught 12 passes for 183 yards and a landing in 5 video games earlier than being positioned on injured reserve with a damaged finger.

On Oct. 18, whereas nonetheless therapeutic from that damage, Reynolds was shot within the left arm and the again of the pinnacle — accidents later categorised as minor — after he left a strip membership in Glendale, Colorado, at about 2:45 a.m. Reynolds mentioned he and two different males had been adopted into after which out of the membership earlier than photographs had been fired into their SUV.

Reynolds labored his method again onto the soccer subject, however was waived by Denver in December earlier than taking part in one other recreation. He was claimed by Jacksonville and caught one go in 4 video games earlier than being launched in March.

“Yeah, life is precious, for sure,” mentioned Reynolds, who has spoken little or no concerning the capturing or the ups and downs of final season. “But the more you’ve got to think about it, the more you’re just kind of reliving it. And so I’ve moved past it, I’m here in Jersey and ready to get going.”

The Jets signed Reynolds three weeks after he was reduce by the Jaguars, giving him a one-year deal value as much as $5 million. Aside from Mougey’s familiarity with Reynolds, Glenn additionally knew the extensive receiver from his two-plus seasons in Detroit from 2021-23 when Glenn was the Lions’ defensive coordinator.

“I care about good players, so, if he is a good player, I want him in the locker room,” Glenn mentioned. “If I knew him or not, that doesn’t matter to me. The fact of the matter is he is a good player and I think he has a lot left in the tank. I want him in the locker room. Plus, he’s a good person.”

Reynolds additionally is aware of Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who was the Lions’ passing recreation coordinator throughout his final two seasons in Detroit. That offers Reynolds a little bit of an edge in rapidly choosing up New York’s system, which he mentioned is “pretty similar” to what he noticed with the Lions, however with some “twists and stuff” that Engstrand has put in.

“Honestly, I thought it was going to be a little harder, but, no, once I kind of heard and seen these plays, I was like, oh yeah, the memories started flooding back in,” Reynolds mentioned. “A lot of it is just more being able to kind of do it as soon as you hear it.”

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