Former New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis is considering a new contract

The New York Jets may get help on offense from an unexpected source.

Field Yates Field Yates of ESPN posted on social media that veteran wide receiver Corey Davis “has requested to be allowed back into the NFL. He took a break from the team in late August of 2023.

Yates stated on Twitter, “The Jets are likely to remove Davis from the Reserve/Retired list today, and there's a chance he could return to New York on a new contract.”

Davis Could Fill the Gap in the Jets’ Wide Receiver Lineup

The former Western Michigan player was the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Davis spent his first four NFL years with the Tennessee Titans. When he became a free agent for the first time, he inked he signed a three-year $37.5 million deal with the Jets.

When he retired from football, Davis still had one year remaining on his contract. However, Yates explained that Davis is likely to become a free agent. At that point, he could negotiate a new contract with the Jets or explore other options in free agency.

During his two years with the Jets, he recorded 66 catches for 1,028 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Throughout his NFL career, Davis has 273 receptions for 3,879 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Davis recently turned 29 in January of this year.

Social Media Responses to Davis Returning to the NFL

Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic mentioned, “The Jets have always been open to welcoming back Corey Davis. Now the question is whether he still wants to play for them.”

He then added another message stating that “The Jets are letting Corey Davis go, although they are not obligated to do so as they still have his rights. There's still a chance he may return, but not likely alongside Allen Lazard who essentially plays the same position as him.”

The issue I have with Rosenblatt’s additional note is what was expected to happen last year. Davis’ decision to leave the sport surprised the team during preseason.

New York had anticipated having both Lazard and Davis on the team in 2023. What would change a year later, especially considering that Lazard failed to live up to his $44 million contract.

If the team was willing to keep both wide receivers on the roster last year when Lazard, in theory, was at his peak value, why would they act differently now that Lazard’s value is even lower following a poor season?

Connor Hughes of SNY suggested another possibility.

“Corey Davis is clearly a better player than Allen Lazard, despite having similar styles of play. He's also more of a leader. Lazard signing took playing time away from Davis. It became evident during training camp that Davis deserved all the playing time. If the Jets can find a team willing to take Lazard, they should move ahead with that and bring back Davis,” said Hughes.

Rich Cimini Field Yates of ESPN reacted to the news about Davis by asking, “Could this be the solution to the Jets’ receiving depth issues?”