The New York Jets have swapped out some big men.
Gang Green announced on X that they have signed former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Brant Banks to the practice squad. In a corresponding roster move, they released offensive lineman Marquis Hayes.
“Banks (6-7, 306) signed a reserve/futures contract with the Packers in January and spent the summer with the club before he was released on Aug. 30. A Houston, TX, native, Banks played collegiately at Nebraska (2019-22) and Rice (2023-24) before going undrafted in 2025 and signing with the Packers. He spent part of the season on Green Bay’s practice squad and active roster, playing in two games, before he was waived and claimed off waivers by Tennessee on Oct. 1. After he was waived by the Titans, Banks returned to Green Bay on the practice squad and signed a reserve/futures contract with Green Bay in January,” Jets senior reporter Eric Allen wrote.
In other news, they released linebacker Mykal Walker “with an injury settlement.” They also waived running back Dominic Richardson with an “injury settlement.”
What the Heck Happened?
Walker, 29, first joined the Jets in September ahead of the 2025 season by signing to the practice squad. He ended up appearing in 14 games and made five starts.
With those opportunities, Walker collected 31 total tackles, a pass deflection, and a tackle for loss. He contributed both on defense (194 snaps) and on special teams (306 snaps).
He seemed to be a shoo-in to make the 53-man roster this summer and had a clear path to being the third linebacker for the Jets. Occasionally, that would have led to reps on the field, but more importantly, he would have been the primary reserve linebacker to Demario Davis and Jamien Sherwood. A very critical role.
However, he hurt his calf during training camp. Head coach Aaron Glenn said he should miss a couple of weeks in August, but said he would be good to go for the season opener. So heading into cutdown day, Walker was expected to make the team. Instead, the team placed him on injured reserve. According to the NFL rules, that meant Walker was now ruled out for the season.
That seemed strange; perhaps the calf injury was more serious than originally thought. Walker received an injury settlement to become an unrestricted free agent. So now Walker is free to sign with another NFL team and is eligible to play this season.
Some Interesting Jets Workouts
The Jets worked out two quarterbacks on Thursday, September 3: Will Levis and Jack Plummer. Naturally, that caught a lot of eyes, but those weren’t the only players they kicked the tires on.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed that the Jets worked out four wide receivers:
Could this be a warning shot to second-year pass catcher Arian Smith? Smith made the 53-man roster, but that wasn’t a lock despite his draft status.
Smith had an underwhelming summer that was highlighted or lowlighted by drop issues that plagued him in college. There wasn’t anyone good enough on the 91-man roster to steal his lunch, but that doesn’t guarantee his safety. There is always someone outside the organization that is one call away from replacing you. The pressure is on for the former Georgia product.
Jets Sign 6-Foot-7 Ex-Packers OL, Part Ways With Vet LB