It’s closing time.
Former New York Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah announced on social media that he is retiring from the NFL.
“History has a way of repeating itself, and there’s no place I’d want to formally announce my retirement than the place that started it all for me and gave me my chance. The place I will always think of as my second home and will always hold a special place in me and my family’s heart. The place where we won a playoff game for the first time since before I was born, and went on an odds-defying run to the Super Bowl. A place I’ve met people who have become like brothers to me. Cincinnati, thank you for everything. Who Dey Forever,” Uzomah posted in a statement.
History has a way of repeating itself and there’s no place I’d want to formally announce my retirement, than the place that started it all for me and gave
Uzomah shared a 74-second video clip that included highlights from his football career. That included a shout-out to the Jets for his time in the green and white.
Recapping Uzomah’s Run in the League
Uzomah, 33, entered the league as the No. 157 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft.
He spent the first seven years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. During free agency in 2022, he signed a three-year $24 million deal with the Jets.
During his two years with the team, he appeared in 27 games and made 21 starts. With those opportunities, he was targeted 39 times, caught 29 receptions for 290 receiving yards, and scored three touchdowns.
After being cut by the Jets in March of 2024, he found a new home with the Philadelphia Eagles. Uzomah mostly served in a reserve role during the 2024 campaign, and that tenure was highlighted by a Super Bowl ring
The Jets Have Come a Long Way
During that 2022 offseason, the Jets invested more at the tight end position than they had in well over a decade.
The team signed Uzomah and veteran Tyler Conklin to deals that totaled a combined $45 million in free agency. A month later in the 2022 NFL draft, the Jets invested the No. 101 overall pick in the third round to land Jeremy Ruckert.
They have gone above and beyond that in these last two offseasons. During the 2025 NFL draft, the Jets selected TE Mason Taylor out of LSU with the No. 42 overall pick in the second round. Then this past draft, the Jets snagged Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round.
Those two players were the highest-drafted tight ends by the Jets since 2008, when they traded back into the first round to go get Dustin Keller out of Purdue.
During Keller’s brief tenure with the team, he was everything you wanted out of a tight end. He could challenge you down the field. Keller could occasionally box you out or run by you. He often served as the security blanket for whoever was playing quarterback.
That is what Frank Reich is hoping to bring back to this Jets offense in 2026. That could help unlock the rest of the offense if they can eat over the middle.
33-Year-Old Ex-Jets TE Retires Before 2026 Season