Jets' Kenyon Sadiq Lost for Offseason After Surgery

Following a 3-14 season in 2025, the New York Jets boosted its roster by taking three players in the first round of April’s draft.

Defensive end David Bailey should help the pass-rush for years to come. Wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. will give new quarterback Geno Smith another target besides Garrett Wilson.

Tight end Kenyon Sadiq showed his athleticism at the NFL combine, and he could end up being the best player taken by the Jets in a crowded and talented class. However, he’s facing a bumpy ride at the start of his NFL career.

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On Thursday, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn revealed Sadiq would miss the entire offseason and potentially the start of training camp after having surgery to repair his hernia. Glenn stressed that the surgery was a “minor procedure.”

“It’s something that he dealt with, and we knew about it going into his last year of college, and he dealt with it during rookie minicamp,” Glenn said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN. “We wanted to make sure we got it done right after rookie minicamp, so he’ll be ready to go during training camp.”

Sadiq, 21, recorded 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns during his final season at Oregon in 2025. He’s expected to be a key target for Smith during the upcoming season.

Missing time during voluntary and mandatory OTAs won’t help the rookie tight end build a connection with Smith, a veteran quarterback. Sadiq needed work on learning the offense, including everything from lining up correctly, learning the cadence and understanding the route tree.

Sadiq will be behind the curve when he returns to practice in training camp. At that point, the Jets won’t be in teaching mode as much as preparing the roster for the upcoming season.

It could take Sadiq some extra time to grasp the offense and become a playmaker for New York during his rookie season, even if he’s healthy enough to play in Week 1.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 10:12 AM.