Jets: Jeremy Kerley not surprised with lack of playing time

By Nick Ziegler | Sep 17, 2015

Jeremy Kerley of the New York Jets has been their slot wide receiver for the last few seasons, but in 2015 there has been a lack of a role for Kerley.

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Coming into training camp, Kerley was once again going to be the Jets’ slot wide receiver, but as the summer went on things began to change. Kerley began to see his playtime with the starters disappear as Quincy Enunwa started establishing himself as another option for the Jets in the slot.

“I’m not going to say that I feel like I should be the starter or a starter. I say all the time that I feel like I am a starter. I feel like I should be somewhere on the field because I’m a ball player and I’m a playmaker.” Kerley said to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. “The coaches, they have what they like. They have a certain image in their head that they want to see. And maybe I just don’t fit that image. I’m cool with that because I can’t control it.”

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“It’s tough because you want to play. I see myself being on the field making plays. But at the same time, we won. I think the players that were in did a good job. I like Chris Owusu. I like the way he balls. There would never be a situation where I would be like, ‘I think I can do better than them [the Jets’ other receivers].’ But as far as me being on the field with them balling, yeah, I think I can play with anybody.”

Without tight end Jace Amaro, the Jets used a lot of three wide receiver packages against the Cleveland Browns, but Kerley was only on the field for one offensive snap. Getting a majority of the work besides Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker were Enunwa and Chris Owusu.

A lot of the reason for Kerley not getting snaps is that Enunwa is a better blocker, and that is something that the Jets need.

“There’s got to be a pass somewhere in between,” Kerley said to Slater. “I think he’s a superior blocker. I think he’s real good at running routes. I think I’m good at running routes, as well. I think I’m good at what I do.”

Despite having a drastically different role in 2015, Kerley hasn’t gone to talk to the coaches and the coaches haven’t talked to him about it either.

“I don’t really think that type of discussion would help the situation,” Kerley said to Slater. “I think they’re kind of set on what they want. They have things that they like, and I respect that. If Quincy is what they want to go with, if Chris is what they want to go with, I respect it. I’m not too surprised by what happened Sunday.”

Kerley still has three years remaining on his contract that he signed last season, but with NFL contracts there are mostly no guarantees.

“Man, I’m not even worried about [the next] 15 games in the season,” Kerley said to Slater. “I’m just worried about today, tomorrow, and what I can control. Fifteen games from now, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if I’m going to be here. I don’t know where I’m going to be at.”

After just one snap against the Browns, it’s hard to imagine that Kerley will be seeing any significant playing time against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football in Week 2.

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