The New York Jets have been dealing with some injuries to key players early in training camp, with cornerbacks Nahshon Wright and D’Angelo Ponds missing Friday night’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, a trade acquisition this past offseason, has also not seen the field yet in camp. He’s been on the Non-Football Injury list as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Fortunately, Sweat seems primed for a return, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. He may not be back at 100% capacity right away, but the young nose tackle will start to slowly work his way onto the field after passing his physical.

“Positive news on the Jets injury front: NT T’Vondre Sweat (hamstring) passed his physical and is coming off the non-football injury list, per source. He will work his way back slowly this week and will be evaluated at the end of the week. A key piece for the defense.”

T’Vondre Sweat’s return is huge news for the New York Jets

When the Jets acquired Sweat in a trade with the Tennessee Titans back in February, it wasn’t exactly easy news for fans to digest. New York parted ways with former first-round defensive end Jermaine Johnson in the process.

But Sweat’s latent talents and abilities should help ease Jets fans’ pain of parting ways with a fan favorite, especially if he’s able to stay on the field. The 6-foot-4, 360-pound nose tackle has proven to be capable of elite production.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sweat was the NFL’s fifth-best defensive tackle in 2025, earning an overall grade of 83.4. His run-defense grade of 79.3 was fourth-best among his peers.

It will be interesting to watch how the Jets ramp Sweat up in preparation for his return. They won’t want to push him too hard and risk re-injuring him. The 25-year-old is expected to play a key role in the defensive line rotation in 2026.

What does T’Vondre Sweat’s return mean for New York Jets rookie Darrell Jackson?

While Sweat was absent from training camp, rookie defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. stepped up to the plate and stood out with his increased reps, according to reporters on the scene.

It’s cool to see a young player who was initially planned to “redshirt” his rookie season with a group of talented veterans ahead of him make a push for a more active role. With Sweat’s return, he now has another body ahead of him to compete with.

Jackson will surely still have plenty of reps throughout the preseason and camp to make a push for a larger role in 2026, but if Sweat is as productive as he was for Tennessee last season, it will be hard to keep the one they affectionately refer to as “Meatloaf” off the field.

Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow