Former Tennessee standout wide receiver Josh Malone is back on a NFL 53-man roster, as he was signed by the New York Jets off their practice squad, the franchise officially announced Thursday.
Malone has seen action already this season, playing in both of the Jets’ first two matchups. Though he did not register a statistic in the Jets’ season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills, he did catch four passes for 16 yards and carried the ball once for a 12-yard gain in a Week 2 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Malone was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, but only had seven career catches in Cincinnati for 75 yards and one touchdown. Malone was waived by the Bengals in Sept. 2019 and signed to the Jets’ practice squad shortly after.
He made the Jets’ active roster near the end of last season and will have another chance to make an impact in 2020.
Malone caught 104 passes in his three-year Tennessee career before declaring early for the NFL draft, compiling over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 2016 season was the best of Malone’s college career, as he caught 50 passes for 972 yards and 11 touchdowns on the way to a 9-4 season for the Vols.