Jets Rumors: Quincy Enunwa, Josh Bellamy Put on PUP with Season-Ending Injuries

Timothy Rapp @@TRappaRTFeatured ColumnistMay 5, 2020

New York Jets wide receiver Josh Bellamy in action before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The New York Jets reportedly placed wide receivers Quincy Enunwa and Josh Bellamy on injured reserve Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
Both players are dealing with significant injuries and won’t play for the #Jets this season. https://t.co/crIdAy2dzU

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
The new #Jets regime is still dealing with money and cap issues left over, and the Enunwa contract is a big one. He’s guaranteed $6M for 2020 — and only played one game of a 4-year, $36M deal. https://t.co/IJutjwC4uL

Enunwa was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and has dealt with neck injuries throughout his career, while Bellamy is still recovering from a shoulder injury that cut his 2019 season short after seven games.

Enunwa, 27, appeared set to have a nice career with the Jets after the 2016 season, when he caught 58 passes for 857 yards and four touchdowns. But injuries cost him the entire 2017 season, five games in 2018 and 15 games last year.

Since the Jets took him in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft, he's played in just 41 games out of a possible 96. And the Jets are on the hook for at least $10.1 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons:

Rich Cimini @RichCimini
Source confirms WR Quincy Enunwa (neck) and WR Josh Bellamy (shoulder) are being placed on season-ending PUP, as @RapSheet said. This was always the most likely outcome for Enunwa, whose $6M salary is fully guaranteed. Also has a$4.1M injury guarantee in ‘21. #Jets

As for Bellamy, the 30-year-old didn't offer the Jets much of a receiving threat last season, catching just two passes for 20 yards. He was a solid special-teams contributor, though he wouldn't have been a guarantee to make the team even if he were fully healthy.

Manish Mehta @MMehtaNYDN
Josh Bellamy was scheduled to earn $2.25M in 2020. Up to $1.2 million of that $2.25M would count against the Jets 2020 salary cap if he's not picked up by another team (and he files injury protection).

The Jets don't have much talent on the wide receiver depth chart, however. Enunwa's injury, combined with Robby Anderson's departure in free agency, has left them to rely on veterans Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman and rookie Denzel Mims out wide.

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Quarterback Sam Darnold is still optimistic.

"Some things just didn't line up," he said of losing Anderson, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. "But with the weapons that we have now, we're looking ... for good production from our WRs, RBs, etc."

He's also looking forward to working with Mims.

"He's a great playmaker," he said, per Mehta. "He's got a lot of potential."

Given New York's current state at receiver, the Jets will be looking to utilize that big-play ability Mims showed in three seasons as a starter at Baylor.