FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- When rookie Kenyon Sadiq scored the first touchdown of the New York Jets' season, the first to congratulate him were fellow tight ends Jeremy Ruckert and Mason Taylor.
Call it a lucky "13" celebration -- and a glimpse into the future.
Ruckert and Taylor delivered key blocks on the play, a 3-yard run on an end around -- one of 11 plays the Jets ran out of the 13 personnel grouping (one back, three tight ends, one wideout). It's a growing trend in the NFL, and the Jets -- with four tight ends on the roster -- like to believe they're on the cutting edge.
"I think that room is a weapon for us," coach Aaron Glenn said Monday.
For years, the tight end position was a black hole in the Jets' offense. From 2016 to 2025, their tight ends ranked 31st in receptions, 32nd in receiving yards and 31st (tied) in touchdown receptions.
This spring, they drafted Sadiq with the 16th overall pick -- one of three first-round selections -- essentially announcing their intention under new offensive coordinator Frank Reich to become a tight-end-heavy offense.
Sadiq joined Taylor (second round, 2025) and Ruckert (third round, 2022) in the room. Jelani Woods, a third-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, crashed the party with a strong training camp, prompting the Jets to keep four on the roster.
Reich has leaned toward the traditional 11 grouping (one back, one tight end, three receivers) throughout his career as a playcaller, but he vowed in training camp to adjust to his current personnel.
"The whole group is super talented and super versatile," Reich said.
It wasn't lip service.
On the opening possession of their 23-10 win over the Tennessee Titans, the Jets used 13 personnel on three plays -- matching their total for the entire 2025 season. They marched 60 yards in eight plays, a rarity for the Jets, who had only one first-possession touchdown drive in 2025.
By the end of the day, they had used multiple tight ends on 27 of their 63 plays, including both touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats. They rolled out four tight ends on one play in the third quarter -- about as common as a lunar eclipse. Most teams don't have four tight ends on the roster; the ones that do typically don't deploy them at the same time.
It's worth noting that the fifth player in the grouping was Andrew Beck, a hybrid player listed as a fullback but practices with the tight ends. Quarterback Geno Smith said Beck is really a tight end, making that a five-tight end play -- perhaps unprecedented.
"I don't think I've ever been on the field with five tight ends," said Smith, in his 14th season.
The personnel package appeared to confuse the Titans, who got caught with 13 men on the field for the next play -- a 4-yard touchdown run by Breece Hall out of 12 personnel.
"I thought that was pretty fun to see," Glenn said.
While Taylor, Ruckert and Woods are traditional tight ends, Sadiq is a chess piece because of his versatility. He's the key to the operation, capable of playing anywhere in the formation. On Sunday, he lined up at tight end (18 snaps), split out wide (four), in the slot (two) and in the backfield (two).
On his touchdown run, Sadiq went in motion toward Smith, took the handoff and burned rubber around the left end, reaching a top speed of 20.08 mph -- tied with Mark Andrews (2025) for the fastest max speed on a rushing TD by a tight end since Next Gen Stats began tracking in 2016.
"It was awesome, something you just dream of," said Sadiq, who joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome (1978) as the only two tight ends in history to score a rushing touchdown in their first game. "I have so much gratitude for all the guys. Mason and Jeremy were really the big reason why I scored there."
Reich knew immediately what he had in Sadiq, who recorded one of the fastest 40-yard dash times (4.39 seconds) for a tight end in the history of the scouting combine. Reich was so excited on draft night that he was almost hyperventilating during a welcome-to-the-team phone call with Sadiq.
"It's exciting and it opens doors for all of us," Taylor said after Sadiq's arrival.
The plans were temporarily put on hold, as Sadiq underwent hernia surgery in the spring and missed most of OTAs and then training camp after a setback in late July. Reich downplayed Sadiq's potential impact in the opener, saying the rookie would need time to get up to speed.
He exceeded those expectations.
"Coach Reich, he's going to have a hell of a time scheming for our offense," Taylor said. "We have a bunch of skill in that room -- not just him, but, I mean, he's smooth, he's quick and he's as athletic as hell."
The tight ends combined for only six receptions for 23 yards in Week 1, but their production should increase as they settle into the offense. The Jets are part of the "13" craze sweeping the league, started last year by the Los Angeles Rams. In Week 1, there were 160 snaps of 13, the most since at least 2007.
"That's an improved group," Glenn said of his four tight ends, "and each week we're giving them more and more on their plate so we can try to take advantage of who they are."
