FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Safety Jaylen Key, the last player selected in the 2024 NFL draft, was waived Tuesday by the New York Jets, becoming the first Mr. Irrelevant since 2019 to get cut before Week 1.
Key, who played his final year of college ball at Alabama, was among 34 players released by the Jets as they pared their roster to 53.
Key certainly received ample opportunity to make the team. He logged a team-high 123 defensive snaps in the preseason, finishing with 11 tackles.
The last Mr. Irrelevant to get cut this soon was Arizona Cardinals tight end Caleb Wilson, drafted 254th out of UCLA in 2019, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Cardinals added him to their practice squad two days later. He never played in a game for the Cardinals; he wound up playing five games for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, his last NFL action.
The Jets kept four safeties on the roster -- starters Tony Adams and Chuck Clark, along with Ashtyn Davis and Isaiah Oliver. There's some interest in adding Key to the practice squad, though he wasn't spotted Tuesday on the practice field -- perhaps an ominous sign. The Jets practiced before making their last few cuts.
On draft night, Key embraced his Mr. Irrelevant status, saying, "I'm definitely going to lean into every bit of it. I'm Mr. Irrelevant this year, and we're going to make something shake, for sure."
The Jets will face the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant in their season opener -- San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
