Overview
- The Jets signed Sterling Shepard to their practice squad on Tuesday to bolster receiver depth after Cooper’s Week 1 ankle injury left the team thin at the position.
- Shepard joined the club alongside wideout Tyler Johnson as part of a group of roster moves that also included a practice-squad promotion at cornerback.
- Shepard was cut by the Houston Texans after a brief training-camp stint and brings a 443-catch, 4,800-yard, 25-touchdown career resume built largely in New York.
- Local reporters and analysts view Shepard as a likely short-term elevation candidate who could be promoted to the active roster quickly if the Jets need game-day help.
- The move reflects a common NFL pattern of signing veteran receivers to practice squads for rapid depth, and it preserves the Jets’ options while Cooper is week-to-week and Patrick serves a minimum IR absence.