Looking Back: Former Husker gets job with former NFL team

The receiver has strong ties to the Bo Pelini era!

A former Nebraska Cornhusker wide receiver is now working as a TV analyst for his former NFL team. Recently retired Quincy Enunwa will be working for the New York Jets this season. The Moreno Valley, the California native played for the Husker from 2010-2013. He ended his career ninth in receptions (115), tenth in yards (1,526), and seventh in touchdowns catches (15).

He was taken in the sixth round in the 2014 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played for the Big Apple’s AFC football team from 2014-2019. He had 119 receptions, 1,617 yards, and five receiving touchdowns in his NFL career. Below is a photo gallery looking back at that receiver’s collegiate career.

Former Nebraska WR Lands NFL Media Job

A former Nebraska Cornhuskers WR will be a TV football analyst this season.

Former Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Quincy Enunwa will be a TV football analyst for the New York Jets this season.

Enunwa discussed the job with Jim Gehman of the Jets’ official site.

“It’s working with Eric Allen and the Jets pre- and post-game shows,” Enunwa said. “It’s something new for me. I obviously did media with the Jets and enjoyed doing different things that I had to do, but this is a whole different experience. I’m looking forward to growing in it. The goal for me is to just continue to grow, continue to learn. The reward of challenging myself and trying something new will be great for me.”

Enunwa played four seasons for the Cornhuskers, and he was one of the most productive wide receivers in school history. He has the ninth-most receptions in school history (115), and he is tied for the seventh-most receiving touchdowns in school history (15).

Enunwa played five seasons for the Jets.

Felt good being back! Still getting used to being on this side lol https://t.co/rHE6BjZels

— Quincy Enunwa (@QuincyEnunwa) July 30, 2022

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Quincy Enunwa not first New York athlete whose career was hampered by spinal stenosis

Unfortunately, Quincy Enunwa is not the only high-profile New York athlete who had his career hampered by spinal stenosis.

In a matter of only two years, spinal stenosis ripped Quincy Enunwa’s promising career with the Jets away from him. Unfortunately, he is not the first high-profile New York athlete whose career was hampered by the condition.

Former Mets third baseman David Wright was well on his way to what could have been a Hall of Fame career before spinal stenosis brought an abrupt end to his career. By age 30, he had already been to seven MLB All-Star games and was a two-time Gold Glove award winner and two-time Silver Slugger honoree. He still had plenty of good baseball left in the tank, but Wright ran out of gas quicker than he ever could have expected, as his debilitating back injury forced him into early retirement in 2018.

According to the Mayo Clinic, spinal stenosis results in “narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine.” Symptoms of cervical spinal stenosis include “numbness or tingling in a hand, arm, foot or leg, weakness in a hand, foot, arm or leg, problems with walking and balance, and neck pain.” Lumbar spinal stenosis results in back pain, as well as “numbing or tingling in a foot or leg and weakness in a foot or leg.”

The source of Enunwa’s discomfort came from his neck (cervical spinal stenosis), while Wright endured lower back pain (lumbar spinal stenosis). Considering the symptoms of both forms of spinal stenosis and the role that wear and tear on the body play in its severity, it should come as no surprise that Enunwa and Wright were both impeded by the condition in their efforts to return to action.

There is still a chance Enunwa makes a comeback after being released by the Jets. He is still only 28 and has yet to show any indication that he is seriously considering retirement. However, it’s hard to see him returning to the field anytime soon. Spinal stenosis brought an end to Wright’s career in a much less violent sport. Enunwa takes direct hits to his back on a daily basis as a wide receiver.

Even if Enunwa does return to football, it will be difficult for him to return to being the player he once was. The Nebraska product made his name with the Jets playing a tough, physical brand of football. Because of spinal stenosis, he cannot afford to play that way going forward. The symptoms of the condition don’t help his chances of changing his style of play, either.

It remains to be seen if Enunwa will ever return to the gridiron, but either way, his time with the Jets is up because of a condition he had no control over. That has to be tough for an athlete who was at the top of his game to come to terms with.

6 players who benefited most from the Jets’ roster moves

The Jets lost a few starters to roster moves, but these players are in line for bigger roles on the team, now.

The Jets made a couple of big moves this week as they trimmed their roster down to 80 men before the beginning of training camp.

Not only did starting inside linebacker C.J. Mosley opt out of the 2020 season because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, but New York also cut a couple of key contributors from the past few seasons. Among them were guard Brian Winters, wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and running back/return specialist Trenton Cannon.

The loss of those players opens up some opportunities for players to step in and assume bigger roles, or elevate some players’ value entering the 2020 season. With that being said, here are six Jets who benefitted the most from Gang Green’s recent string of transactions.

Avery Williamson

When Mosley opted out, Williamson immediately became more important to the Jets. He was once considered a likely cap casualty because of contract, age and an ACL injury that cost him the 2019 season, but now, Williamson is the de-facto leader of New York’s defense.

Williamson should be at the center of Gregg Williams’ defensive scheme in 2020. It won’t be the same role he played two years ago, but the Jets will need him to anchor the front-seven with Mosley out of the picture.

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Injuries robbed Quincy Enunwa of promising career with Jets

Two years ago, Quincy Enunwa was one of the Jets’ most promising players. Now, his time with the team is over because of injuries.

Two years ago, Quincy Enunwa stood in front of reporters at One Jets Drive with a smile spanning ear to ear. The source of his jubilation? A four-year contract extension that established him as a major part of New York’s future.

“I’ve been here for so long, this is what I know and this is what I’ve come to love,” Enunwa said at the time. “I want to continue growing with this team.”

Growth certainly seemed imminent for the former sixth-round draft pick. He burst onto the scene with 58 receptions and nearly 900 receiving yards in 2016. He then fought through a neck injury that cost him the 2017 season and returned for 2018 as one of Sam Darnold’s top targets. Unfortunately, that wound up being the pinnacle of Enunwa’s time in the Big Apple, which came to an unceremonious end on Monday.

Enunwa’s release was unlike most that take place at this time of year. He was not shown the door because he did not have the talent to make an impact for the Jets — quite the opposite, in fact. When healthy, Enunwa’s versatility made him a dangerous weapon in New York’s offense. His ability to line up as an outside receiver, in the slot and even as a tight end or H-Back allowed the Jets to get him involved in a plethora of creative ways.

The “when healthy” caveat is what ultimately caused Enunwa’s release. Nobody could have predicted it at the time, but the neck injury that sidelined him in 2017 was a grim sign of things to come. When Enunwa returned to the field in 2018, a high-ankle sprain crept up mid-season and kept him out of the lineup for five games. In last season’s season-opener against the Bills, the neck pain returned. This time, it was a death blow to Enunwa’s once-promising career with the Jets.

Injuries robbed Enunwa of what should have been a long and productive stint in New York. He had already established himself as one of Darnold’s go-to guys and had the potential to develop into an even better player than he already was before the injury bug bit. Had he stayed healthy, there is no telling what Enunwa could have accomplished before calling it a career.

Now, the time for Enunwa to hang up his cleats might be coming sooner than he ever could have imagined. A spinal stenosis diagnosis — the same condition that prematurely ended the career of New York Mets third baseman David Wright — has Enunwa’s career in the balance. Considering the severity of his condition, retiring at only 28 could be a bitter pill he is forced to swallow. If Enunwa opts to go that route, the good news is that he has already found his post-football calling as a mental health advocate with dreams of becoming a sports-performance therapist. The thought of what could have been will likely always linger in the back of his mind, though.

Enunwa had his entire future with the Jets ahead of him. Instead, injuries ripped away what was primed to be a star-studded career. In the same time it took Enunwa to put pen to paper on his contract extension, his career with the only organization he has ever known came to an end.

Jordan Jenkins, Steve McLendon now the longest-tenured Jets

Following the departures of Quincy Enunwa and Brian Winters, Jordan Jenkins and Steve McLendon are now the Jets longest-tenured players.

Now that both Brian Winters and Quincy Enunwa are no longer with the organization, Jordan Jenkins and Steve McLendon are the Jets’ longest-tenured players.

Both defenders joined the Jets in 2016 when ex-Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan was calling the shots.

Winters and Enunwa were the last two players on New York’s roster who held ties to both John Idzik and Rex Ryan. They joined the Jets in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Winters, a long-suspected cap casualty, was released on Sunday. A former third-round pick out of Kent State University, Winters had been with the Jets for the past seven seasons, starting 79 of 89 games in his career with Gang Green. In less than 24 hours, he was able to find a new home in Buffalo. His departure saved the Jets $7.28 million in cap space.

As for Enunwa, the Jets officially released the oft-injured wide receiver on Monday. Enunwa had already been ruled out for the 2020 season and was on the team’s reserve/PUP list. Enunwa showed flashes of promise but was never able to stay on the field due to multiple neck injuries and a spinal stenosis diagnosis. Enunwa missed the entire 2017 season with a neck injury but bounced back for a sound performance as the team’s No. 3 receiving option in 2018. Enunwa was then signed to a four-year, $36 million contract extension but wound up playing just one game on his new deal.

New York got no salary relief by releasing Enunwa.

Winters and Enunwa’s departures will leave a void in the locker room, but both Jenkins and McLendon have been leaders in their own rights.

Although McLendon is now 34 years old, the defensive tackle has shown no signs of slowing down. McLendon has become one of Maccagnan’s better and more underrated additions during his time in New York. He has severed as the heart and soul of Gang Green’s defense and has helped the Jets locker room navigate through tumultuous times. For example, with the Jets unable to workout at the team’s facilities in Florham Park back in May, McLendon opened up his gym in Georgia for his teammates to come train.

McLendon’s future with the organization beyond 2020 is currently up in the air, however.

Jenkins has been one of New York’s rare mid-round draft picks that has panned out. Coming back to lead the unit after his free agent market didn’t take off, Jenkins has consistently been one of New York’s strongest pass-rushers. He could play himself into a contract extension this year if he keeps getting after the quarterback.

As of now, no current Jet has been with the organization for more than four seasons. Joe Douglas continues to rebuild the roster from the bottom up and with that, there has been plenty of turnover. Whether Jenkins or McLendon is part of the organization’s future remains to be seen,

Jets’ 53-man roster prediction 3.0: C.J. Mosley’s opt-out, other moves shake things up

Jets Wire takes its latest crack at projecting New York’s 53-man 2020 roster following C.J. Mosley’s opt-out and multiple other cuts.

The Jets’ roster has endured a good amount of turnover throughout the last couple of days.

On Saturday, linebacker C.J. Mosley opted out of the 2020 season because of family health-related COVID-19 concerns. Sunday brought about the release of veteran offensive lineman Brian Winters, while wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, running back Trenton Cannon, offensive lineman Ben Braden and outside linebacker Wyatt Ray were shown the door on Monday.

New York’s recent string of transactions not only shake up the depth chart, but also change the outlook of who breaks training camp with the team. With that being said, let’s get into Jets Wire’s latest crack at predicting Gang Green’s 53-man roster.

A reminder: italics signify new arrivals and/or changes from the previous prediction. You can click on previous predictions below as the summer progresses.

Predictions 1.0 – Post-NFL Draft | Predictions 2.0 – The Jamal Adams trade

Quarterback (3)

Starter: Sam Darnold

Backups: David Fales, James Morgan

Cut: Mike White

Nothing new to see here, as the makeup of the Jets’ quarterback room entering the regular season is essentially set in stone. Joe Flacco, remember, won’t be ready for the start of the season. The only question surrounding the group at this point is who could wind up as New York’s designated “quarantine quarterback.”

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With Quincy Enunwa’s release, Rex Ryan’s Jets are extinct

There are no players left from any of Rex Ryan’s teams following Quincy Enunwa’s release.

Quincy Enunwa was the last man standing from the Rex Ryan era, but his release put a close on that chapter of Jets football.

The Jets moved on from Enunwa on Monday after six seasons with the organization. The wide receiver was already going to miss the 2020 season due to a lingering neck injury.

Enunwa was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of the University of Nebraska. He emerged in 2015 when he had 315 receiving yards in 12 games. Enunwa broke out in 2016 when he recorded 857 receiving yards and four touchdowns. However, his NFL career was derailed by neck injuries, first in 2017, then in 2019 and now again in 2020. There’s a chance he never plays football again.

Enunwa’s release also means that the Jets no longer employ any players who played for Rex Ryan. Prior to Sunday, Brian Winters was only other player remaining from Ryan’s teams, but he was let go on and has since signed with the Bills. Ryan coached the Jets from 2009-2014 before he was fired.

Enunwa’s release also means that all of John Idzik’s draft picks are no longer with the team. The Jets now have zero picks on the team from before the 2016 NFL Draft. They have one player from the 2016 draft, Jordan Jenkins, and one player from the 2017 draft, Marcus Maye, still with the team. New York still has four of its players from the 2018 draft and five from the 2019 draft.

All these draft picks that are no longer with the team shows how poorly the Jets have drafted this decade. It also shows hows Joe Douglas has overturned New York’s roster in his first year as Jets general manager.

If he hopes to turn the tide this decade, he will have to be a much better drafter than his predecessors.

Jets release oft-injured WR Quincy Enunwa, waive Trenton Cannon

Quincy Enunwa’s time with the Jets has come to an end.

New York cut the oft-injured wide receiver on Monday in addition to a handful of other moves. Enunwa had been with the Jets since being drafted in the sixth round in 2014.

Enunwa, who was already on the reserve/PUP list, showed an abundance of promise in 2016 when he emerged as a starter and had 857 receiving yards. Since then, however, his career has been plagued by neck injuries. He missed the entire 2017 season, played in just the first game of the 2019 season and was set to miss the entire 2020 season.

Despite his injury history, ex-Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan gave Enunwa a four-year deal for $36 million with $20 million guaranteed in December 2018. Enunwa played just that one 2019 game on that deal. His $6 million base salary in 2020 is fully guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Enunwa also has a $4.1 million injury guarantee for 2021, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The Jets won’t get any cap relief in 2020 for releasing Enunwa.

With Enunwa gone, the Jets have now parted with every John Idzik draft pick. Idzik was the general manager in 2013 and 2014. The team also no longer has anyone who played for Rex Ryan.

It’s long been assumed that Enunwa had already played his last game with the Jets. He spoke this offseason about hoping to comeback if physically able in 2021, but his lingering neck issues were always going to make that difficult. Enunwa has expressed a desire to become a sports-performance therapist following his playing career. He has been an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness, especially this offseason.

Enunwa was not the only player the Jets moved on from on Monday. The team also waived RB/gunner Trenton Cannon, who has dealt with a significant foot injury, OL Ben Braden and OLB Wyatt Ray.

C.J. Mosley, who is opting out of the 2020 season due to family health concerns, was placed on the reserve/opt-out list.

The Jets roster is now at 80 players.

John Idzik’s draft picks essentially all gone after Jets release Brian Winters

John Idzik only has one draft pick left on the Jets following the release of Brian Winters.

Two players from the John Idzik era remained on the Jets’ roster before the team decided to cut Brian Winters on Sunday. Now only one is left — and he’s not even going to play in 2020.

Winters was officially cut by the Jets on Sunday. The move saved the Jets $7.2 million in cap space.

Idzik, now a consultant for the Jaguars, picked Winters out of Kent State in the third round of his first-ever draft as Jets GM in 2013. Winters became a fixture on New York’s offensive line for seven years and one of just a few good picks made by Idzik.

Winters started in 79 of the 89 games he played in for New York. He only played in six games in 2014 due to a torn ACL. In 2017, Winters missed three games because of an abdomen injury. Last season, Winters was out for seven games because of a shoulder injury.

Idzik was a poor drafter in his two years as Jets general manager. Of Idzik’s 19 total draft picks, only six are still in the NFL. That includes Winters, Quincy Enunwa, Oday Aboushi, Geno Smith, Dakota Dozier and Sheldon Richardson. Enunwa remains the lone Idzik draft pick under contract with the Jets, but he will miss the 2020 season due to another neck injury. There is a strong possibility his career is over.

In other words, not a single Idzik pick will play for the Jets this year.