The New York Jets‘ historically great special teams unit is getting a valuable member back.
The Jets announced Wednesday they are designating linebacker/special teamer Cam Jones for return ahead of their date with the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Jones signed with the Jets after being released as part of final cuts from the Kansas City Chiefs in August. He has not played since New York’s 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 12.
He has four tackles, and one solo tackle, in six games while mostly playing special teams. Jones has played three defensive snaps but has been on the field for 60 percent of New York’s special-teams plays.
The Jets have won three of their past five and are allowing 23.5 points per game since their bye week in Week 9.
Cam Jones Will Return This Season
Jones sustained a hip injury in the Jets’ two-point loss in London and landed on injured reserve shortly thereafter. But the 26-year-old’s 21-day window to return was opened Wednesday, meaning he could play against the Dolphins on Sunday.
The Jets have three weeks from Wednesday to activate Jones or place him on season-ending IR. With five games remaining, it’s safe to assume Jones will find his way onto the field in the next two weeks, at the latest.
When Jones has played on defense, he has been an inside linebacker, for both the Jets and Chiefs. But KC defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo used him more as part of the Chiefs’ defensive group, since he combined for 36 tackles and played exactly 7 percent of their defensive snaps in his two years there.
The Jets probably would have used Jones more on defense if not for his injury. But Jones is on a one-year contract, which means the Jets likely want to find out what they have in the 6-2, 227-pound undrafted free agent out of Indiana.
Cam Jones Can Help The Jets’ Historically Great Special Teams Year
Ironically, Jones was brought in primarily to upgrade New York’s special teams, but that phase of the Jets is already having a historically great season.
The Jets special teams have an 11.3 percent DVOA — or defensive value adjusted over average — which calculates a team’s efficiency compared to league average. Only three other teams in NFL history — the 1986 New Orleans Saints, the 1994 Cleveland Browns and the 2007 Chicago Bears — have ever posted at least an 11.3 percent DVOA through 12 games.
New York has by far the worst win-loss record of any those above-listed teams through 12 games, though only the 1994 Browns qualified for the postseason — coached by Bill Belichick, they went 11-5 and fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the playoffs after beating Bill Parcells and the New England Patriots in the wild-card round.
So Jones’ inevitable return should only bolster their special teams and put them in a position to rival the 1987 Saints, who had the best single-season special-teams DVOA (12.8). Those Saints went 12-3 and finished in second place in the NFC West in the strike-shortened season but bowed out to the Minnesota Vikings 44-10 in the wild-card round.
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