The New York Jets have experienced so much offensive line turnover that the team was forced to play an offensive line in Week 8 that featured multiple players who weren’t in the starting lineup to start the season.
On Sunday, the Jets somehow won a game in which they were on their third center. After losing Conor McGovern (knee) and Wes Schweitzer (calf) in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, the Jets turned to a practice squad guard, Xavier Newman-Johnson, to play center. After two shaky snaps, Newman-Johnson held his own, though the Jets surrendered over 22 pressures to the Giants’ defensive front.
In turn, the Jets are in dire need of offensive line help. They didn’t make a trade for offensive line help during this year’s trade deadline, but that didn’t stop the team from making an addition on Tuesday.
So, the Jets made a move to add a former Pro Bowler to their offensive line. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Jets signed Rodger Saffold III to their practice squad.
“An OL move in NY: Jets bolstered their offensive line, signing two-time Pro-Bowl guard Rodger Saffold III to their practice squad with the intent to promote him to their active roster, per source,” Schefter wrote on Twitter/X. “Saffold last played with Buffalo in 2022.”
His connection to the Jets is in the form of offensive line coach Keith Carter, whom he played under for three seasons in Tennessee.
“Excited about Rodger,” Jets GM Joe Douglas said, via the NY Daily News. “He has played a lot of games. Tough, smart, he knows Keith Carter well, being with him at Tennessee. He’s the exact type of person, competitor, mental makeup, and toughness that we are looking for to add to the group.
The 35-year-old guard has been named to consecutive Pro Bowls. He spent last season in Buffalo, where he started 16 games at left guard. He also has experience playing left tackle and right guard.