Jeremy Ruckert’s NFL career is on the line heading into 2025 with the New York Jets.
On Sunday, May 11, he told ESPN’s Rich Cimini that he is ready for the moment.
“This is the best I’ve felt in my career, going into the season — physically, mentally, emotionally. I love everything that the new staff is doing. I love the way they approached the first meeting of Phase I. I love the way they talk to us as a team, the way these workouts have been going,” Ruckert explained exclusively to ESPN.
“It fits me. It’s the kind of team and the kind of system that I want to play in as far as the culture of just coming to work every day and being a tough, hard-nosed, work-hard football team, and that you can’t survive here if you don’t have those traits. It makes me want to get out and go work for somebody,” Ruckert said to Cimini.
Ruckert, 24, is entering the final year of his $5 million rookie contract with the Jets in 2025.
Ruckert Has Had a Rocky Road in the NFL to Date
The Jets had high hopes when they selected Ruckert with the No. 101 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Ruckert didn’t have impressive tangible stats at Ohio State, but he did flash in spurts. The Buckeyes had star talent across the offensive board, which seemed to be the logical explanation.
In college, Ruckert finished with 54 receptions for 615 receiving yards, and he scored 12 touchdowns.
“He played 714 offensive snaps as a senior, but the tight end position in OSU’s offense is used mostly as a blocker or decoy, as he saw only 39 targets in 2021 (3.0 targets per game) after totaling only 34 targets his first three years combined,” Dane Brugler explained in the 2022 version of “The Beast.” “He is a strong candidate to be a better pro than college player with a skill set reminiscent of Adam Trautman.”
Through three years in the NFL, that hasn’t proven to be accurate.
Ruckert has appeared in 41 games and has made 15 starts. With those opportunities, Ruckert has racked up just 35 receptions for 264 receiving yards, with no touchdowns.
At this level, Ruckert has dealt with an array of injuries and inconsistencies on the football field.
There Is Plenty of Reason for Optimism
It is do or die for Ruckert.
Things haven’t worked out for him so far, but he has one last chance to prove himself to the Jets and the rest of the NFL.
A brand new regime has taken over at 1 Jets Drive. By default, that has to be good news for Ruckert. Through his first three seasons, he hasn’t been able to break through. If he impresses a new coaching staff, that should lead to more opportunities.
“New offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand came from the Lions, who used 12 personnel (one RB/two TEs/two WRs) 32% of the time. The Jets used it only 21% last season,” Cimini revealed.
This offseason, he was reunited with his former college football teammate Justin Fields. While the rest of the offensive group has to build chemistry with Fields, Ruckert already has a lot of that built up.
Ruckert should be as motivated as ever for this opportunity. He is playing for his next contract, whether that comes from the Jets or somebody else.
