The New York Jets are making some changes heading into Week 12, with the biggest of them seeing Tyrod Taylor draw the start at quarterback in place of Justin Fields. However, that isn’t the only thing that the Jets are switching up, and it led to a rookie linebacker getting released in a surprising move ahead of the team’s upcoming contest against the Baltimore Ravens.
With New York having won only two games so far this season, the coaching staff is obviously going to try out some different things in an effort to see what they have at their disposal on their roster. On Saturday, that led to Ja’Markis Weston getting released by the team in a somewhat surprising decision.
Jets Release Rookie Linebacker Ja’Markis Weston
Weston didn’t hear his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he latched on with the Jets during training camp and eventually found his way onto their practice squad. With injuries popping up across the board, Weston ended up making his NFL debut in October, and he’s gone on to appear in three games, picking up two tackles during his limited time on the field.
While his main contributions have come on special teams, Weston applied himself well for New York is his first NFL action. With the Jets not really having anything left to play for this season, it would have made a bit of sense to give Weston some more snaps and see whether or not he could become a key part of the team’s future.
Instead, the opposite has happened. With Marcelino McCrary-Ball returning from injured reserve ahead of Week 12, that meant the Jets needed to move on from one of their players. In this case, that player ended up being Weston, as he was waived on Saturday in order to open up a roster spot for McCrary-Ball.
“The Jets have activated LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball from injured reserve and released LB Ja’Markis Weston,” the team announced on its official website.
Jets Hoping to Turn in Competitive Performance vs. Ravens
GettyHead coach Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets looks on during the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game between New York Jets and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Assuming he clears waivers, it seems likely Weston will return to the Jets as a member of their practice squad, where he will continue putting in work behind the scenes to prove he can become a key contributor for this team. For the time being, though, New York is rolling with other options on its active roster as it prepares for a tough contest against Baltimore.
After crawling out to an ugly 1-5 start, the Ravens have battled back to a 5-5 record heading into Week 12, and they will be heavily favored to push that record to 6-5 on Sunday afternoon. New York has looked better on offense when Taylor has been in at quarterback this season, but that ultimately may not matter in this game. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, as the Jets will look to play spoiler against the Ravens in this one.
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