Jeremy Kerley is the next man up after the New York Jets traded Derrick Mason to the Houston Texans Tuesday night.
Not that it’s much of a surprise, as Kerley spent most of his time Sunday in Mason’s position on the field during the Jets’ loss to the New England Patriots.
The rookie wide receiver out of TCU made the best of his reps Sunday, catching three passes for 35 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown from Mark Sanchez.
“When his number got called the other night, he stepped up and made plays,” Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “… We have a lot of confidence in him. We really do. And he’s stepping up. He has confidence in himself to go out there and make plays.
Revis said Kerley had an “outstanding training camp.”
Mason was shipped to Houston after an underwhelming start to the season that saw him make just 13 receptions for 115 yards.
Many speculated Mason’s comments following New York’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago about the team having “cracks” was the decider in the Jets getting rid of him, but General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan denied that his comments had anything to do with the decision.
Kerley, the Jets’ fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft, finished his college career with 122 receptions for 1299 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had eight touchdowns on 63 rushes.
"At the end of the day, Houston gave us a call (about Mason), and we’re like, 'You know what, let’s go with Jeremy,'” Ryan said during his Wednesday presser. "And that’s what we did."
Kerley has also spent time has the Jets’ punt returner this season.
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