Kenyon Sadiq Takes Significant Step Toward Making NFL History

The Jets are looking to put another crushing loss behind them. A Week 4 showdown with the Bears awaits at Soldier Field, giving them an opportunity to redeem themselves against another quality opponent.

While the defensive line has been a huge disappointment so far and injuries have taken their toll on multiple starters, including running back Breece Hall, there have been a lot of positives to take from Gang Green’s performance through the first three weeks of the season.

Fresh off a statement performance with 13 combined catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns, the tight end room made some huge strides in Week 3. A major reason for that was the breakout from rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq, who went off for seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown and became the first rookie with 100 receiving yards this season (h/t Jets).

On Thursday, Sadiq was named the NFL Rookie of the Week for his performance against the Lions.

After a slow start out of the gate, Sadiq’s stock is clearly rising as he continues to display elite athleticism, unique speed and an overall skill set that makes him so hard to defend.

With the weekly honors to his credit already, Sadiq has helped his case to join Mike Ditka (1961) as the second tight end to be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, assuming he can continue to play at an elite level as the season progresses.

Kenyon Sadiq’s rookie season off to a blazing start

A 65-year drought at the TE position is a long time, but Sadiq is already showing he has the tools to end it.

With a banged-up receiving room and a lack of proven options downfield for quarterback Geno Smith in Week 3, Sadiq took full advantage, with the second-most receptions and yards on the team, only behind WR1 Garrett Wilson (10 catches, 107 yards, one TD). The rookie TE had the most yards per reception (15) of any player on the team with more than one catch and benefited from being more involved in the game plan.

If anyone needed a reminder of how athletic Sadiq is, his spectacular touchdown catch against the Lions—the first receiving TD of his career—exemplified that perfectly as he made an incredible diving grab late in the first half (h/t NFL).

The entire TE room stepped up in light of the depleted receiving corps, but head coach Aaron Glenn was particularly impressed by Sadiq’s performance and what he can contribute as the season moves along.

“He is a guy that is athletically on a different level than a lot of tight ends in this league,” Glenn sai about Sadiq, per Sports Illustrated’s Nick Faria. “He’s extremely intelligent when it comes to just understanding football. So we want to continue to try to get him to grow at that aspect and try to get him the ball because we saw what he can do.”

Although offseason hernia surgery limited Sadiq’s development during camp and put his availability to start the season in doubt, he has put those doubts to rest with his versatility, athleticism and physical blocking. His most recent award is a testament to how impressive and impactful he has been, but he cannot let up if he is going to have a shot at history by the end of the season.

What Kenyon Sadiq needs to do to have a legitimate shot at Offensive Rookie of the Year

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Sadiq currently has the fourth-best OROY odds (+1000) to win the season-long award, only behind Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (+150), Browns WR Denzel Boston (+700) and Seahawks RB Jadarian Price (+950).

Love has rushed for 160 yards and two TDs (one receiving), while Price has gone for 119 yards and a solid average of 4.3 yards per carry. While Boston’s yards per reception (21.7) ranks third in the league, along with his 195 yards and two TDs, that is just slightly better production than Sadiq, who showed what he can do when the targets are coming his way.

That does not even factor in who is behind Sadiq in the OROY race, but it does show that he is already earning some respect around the league and is more than capable of staying near the top. Going forward, it is imperative that the Jets make it a priority to feed him the ball and make him a focal point of this offense.

When Mason Taylor eventually returns from a thumb injury, it will be interesting to see how Sadiq is utilized once the TE room is fully healthy. That said, he has already earned some recognition and simply needs to remain a go-to option for Smith downfield and take full advantage of his targets.

The Bears have allowed the eighth-fewest catches (10), 12th-fewest receiving yards (128) and zero TDs to tight ends this season. Still, if Sadiq continues to capitalize on his targets and steal the headlines throughout the season, there is every reason to believe he can keep himself in the mix for the 2026 Offensive Rookie of the Year award and put himself in position to make some rare history.

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