Who Should I Start? Kene Nwangwu or Xazavian Valladay

Friday, March 14, 9:48 PM

The New York Jets re-signed running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu (hand) to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million on Friday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Nwangwu will return for his second season with the Jets and is currently the No. 4 RB on their depth chart behind Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, so he's once again unlikely to make much of an impact in 2025. Last year, he was only active for two games and didn't see any involvement on offense, although he did have a 99-yard kickoff return in Week 13 on special teams. The former fourth-rounder (119th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 out of Iowa State spent his first three years in Minnesota and had 27 carries for 88 yards and no touchdowns, adding six catches for 30 yards. Nwangwu ended the year on Injured Reserve with a hand injury in 2024.

Saturday, August 24, 11:25 PM

New York Jets running back Xazavian Valladay soaked up plenty of reps in Saturday night's preseason win over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, rushing a team-high 14 times for 28 yards and collecting six of his eight targets for a team-leading 62 yards. Valladay hauled in plenty of checkdowns on Saturday against the Giants, totaling 90 yards on a substantial 20 touches. It was more or less window dressing for the 25-year-old Arizona State product, who is unlikely to be a part of New York's 53-man roster when the regular season begins in what has become a loaded Jets RB room.