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Former New York Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay getting warmed up ahead of an NFL game.
The New York Jets brought in former New York Giants pass catcher Kenny Golladay for a workout on Wednesday, September 6.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero was the first to share the news on X (previously Twitter).
Golladay Flamed out in NY With the Giants
The 29-year-old wideout most recently was with Big Blue after signing a massive four-year deal for $72 million with $40 million in total guarantees in 2021.
Golladay ended up only lasting two seasons with the Giants struggling with injuries and inconsistencies. He appeared in 26 out of 34 possible games from 2021 through 2022.
The former Northern Illinois product hauled in 43 receptions for 602 receiving yards and caught just a single touchdown pass.
Golladay made a name for himself as a hidden gem with the Detroit Lions. He originally entered the league as the No. 96 overall pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Golladay’s first four seasons in Detroit were impressive and showed glimpses of what he can bring to the table. He caught 226 passes for 3,670 receiving yards and hauled in 21 touchdowns. He was known as a big play guy averaging over 16.8 yards per reception.
On March 15, the Giants cut bait with him and he has been an unrestricted free agent for months.
What Is the Jets Thought Process Here on a Potential Golladay Addition?
Connor Hughes of SNY described the Jets working out Golladay as simply “kicking the tires.”
“The Jets did lose Corey Davis [and] I think they could use another veteran presence. Someone who has been there and done that. As much as they love [Xavier] Gipson and [Jason] Brownlee these are two guys that have never played before and this is a team with Super Bowl aspirations. This was more one of those things where Joe Douglas is never going to leave any stone unturned so he brought in a guy in Kenny Golladay who had a lot of success in Detroit, not a lot of success with the New York Giants.”
Hughes said from what he heard it “wasn’t an overly impressive workout” this week by Golladay. He added that they “kicked the tires and realized the car wasn’t for them.”
Pelissero added to that by saying the Jets aren’t signing Kenny Golladay “at this time.”
I had Jets analyst Joe Caporoso on “Boy Green Daily” on Thursday, September 7 and we discussed the Golladay-Jets workout this week. A few months back I asked him if there was any free agent addition he could see the Jets making and he name-dropped Golladay.
It was met with a lot of pushback at the time by Jets fans because of how poorly he performed with the Giants. However now that the workout has actually happened, Caporoso attempted to explain the thought process by Gang Green.
“I did have a laugh when I saw that [they worked him out]. My thought is after the Jets didn’t get Odell [Beckham Jr], the team has been looking for more outside-the-numbers vertical options to compliment Garrett Wilson, to compliment what [Mecole] Hardman and [Randall] Cobb do in the slot. [A] pure vertical receiver outside the numbers. Golladay for as terrible as he was with the Giants, he isn’t that far removed from being exactly that guy. He’s still a relatively young guy and we’re talking about a veteran minimum contract.”
Paul A. Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he is also the official PA voice of the Syracuse Strong Football Club and co-hosts Cumulus Media’s morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul A. Esden Jr.
