It was a jarring sight, a 255-pound fullback lining up for a kickoff. The first time, the feeling in the press box was confusion.
Wait, what?
The PA announcer at Arrowhead Stadium announced it again before the Jets' second kickoff: Andrew Beck, the team's 30-year-old fullback, was about to kick off again. He did it five times on Sunday against the Chiefs.
This was a new look for the Jets -- for the NFL, really -- after punter Austin McNamara and kicker Jason Sanders had alternated kickoff duties in recent weeks. Then, in Week 8 against the Raiders, the Jets permitted the first kick return touchdown in the NFL this season when Dylan Laube returned one 95 yards.
Aaron Glenn and special teams coordinator Chris Banjo didn't want that to happen again. One NFL coach from another team, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss strategy publicly, told The Athletic he was surprised other teams haven't done it since kickoff rule changes first took effect in 2024. Essentially, the Jets put an extra tackler on the field by way of having him kick it.
This wasn't a last-minute decision; the Jets had been practicing it for a few weeks. Beck, according to a team source, told his coaches he could kick off and was willing to try. The thinking was that having a sure tackler -- Beck is one of the Jets' better special-teamers and had a tackle in punt coverage on Sunday -- as a safety in kick coverage would allow the Jets' special-teamers on the front end to play more aggressively.
There are other reasons to take the kicker out of the equation on dynamic kickoffs, which were introduced to the league in 2024. Touchbacks now result in the receiving team getting the ball at the 35-yard line. And since the coverage team cannot start until the ball is touched by a returner, there's no advantage to hang time. As long as whoever is taking the kick can get it far enough to reach the landing zone (inside the 20) and keep it inbounds, the kicking team should be able to make a stop before the 35.
Glenn said Monday that: "It was a way to get another quality player onto our unit that actually can cover the kicks. I thought it worked out really well for us. Those are things I'm always going to look at -- things that are out of the box thinking with good players on the field. We're missing a number of players because of injury. Anytime we can think outside of the box to try to improve our units, that's what we're going to do."
The Jets aren't the first team to use a non-specialist in recent years. In fact, the Jets practiced that approach in 2024, when the new rules first took effect. According to a coach from that staff, the team actually held "tryouts" at one point during that season. Tight end Jeremy Ruckert won the right to serve as the "kicker" if the team decided to go that route, though it ultimately did not.
Some other non-kickers to take on kickoffs in recent years include safety Justin Reid -- in 2022 and 2024 with the Chiefs and last year with the Saints -- and running back Ray Davis, who had an onside kick for the Bills in 2025. Before the rule change, some others who conducted kickoffs include running back Dare Ogunbowale with the Texans in 2023, wide receiver Chad Ochocinco with the Bengals in 2008 and wide receiver Wes Welker with the Dolphins in 2004, among others.
How did Beck fare on Sunday?
The experiment was a success until Beck's final kick of the afternoon. Beck's first four kicks all ended with the Chiefs starting their drive before the 35. Then Beck's fifth kickoff bounced in the landing zone but rolled out of bounds, allowing Kansas City to begin the opening drive of the second half at the 40-yard line. That drive resulted in a touchdown.
It's unclear if the Jets intend to use Beck on kickoffs against the Bills in Week 10.
Will McDonald wants out
Edge rusher Will McDonald requested a trade from the Jets on Monday. It doesn't come as a major surprise considering the context of his situation and relationship with this coaching staff.
That context: McDonald, the Jets' first-round pick in 2023, had a close relationship with Robert Saleh's coaching staff, specifically defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton. They got the best out of him in a breakout 2024 campaign. McDonald finished that season with 10.5 sacks, 12 QB hits and 61 pressures in 17 games.
In the 2025 offseason, Glenn was asked why McDonald hadn't yet reached his full potential as a defensive end, and Glenn, taking a shot at the previous staff, simply said, "Coaching."
However, in 24 games with Glenn, McDonald has 11 sacks, 16 QB hits and 61 pressures -- and his role has shrunk significantly. He still rarely plays on running downs and hasn't been a great fit since Glenn's switch to a 3-4 defense this season. According to multiple league sources, speaking anonymously to discuss a sensitive matter, McDonald approached coaches earlier this year about ways to get on the field more -- he even volunteered for a bigger role on special teams. McDonald has played more snaps on special teams, but it hasn't led to any additional playing time on defense, where he's played fewer than 50 percent of the snaps in all but three games this season. McDonald has told people close to him that he hasn't always felt like this Jets coaching staff believed in him as the last one did.
Glenn said he met with McDonald a few days ago for "quite a bit" and had a "really good conversation," but McDonald played only 24 defensive snaps against the Chiefs. So he requested a trade.
"I just know we're in the business of keeping good players so Will is going to be here," Glenn said.
McDonald drew interest at last year's deadline, but the Jets resisted overtures. His value has seemingly gone down; it's possible he won't have his trade request granted before Tuesday's deadline.
The Cisco trade and other deadline possibilities
On Monday, the Jets shipped Andre Cisco to the Lions for a 2028 sixth-round pick. A Cisco trade felt inevitable when Malachi Moore played ahead of him in Kansas City as the Jets' third safety. Cisco was on a one-year contract and unlikely to return in 2027, so shipping him to a team fighting for the playoffs and needing safety depth made sense.
The Jets will get extended looks at Moore, a 2025 fourth-round pick who fell out of the rotation, and seventh-round rookie VJ Payne, who recently had his practice window opened as he returns from injured reserve. Payne missed the majority of training camp with an injury and only practiced for the first time last week.
As for other trades, keep an eye on cornerback Nahshon Wright (zero defensive snaps this season) getting moved for a conditional, late-Day 3 pick.
Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson aren't expected to go anywhere. Teams have called about Geno Smith, but the Jets are expected to consider bringing him back in 2027.
Glenn intimated that the Jets won't be active at the deadline: "Never say never, but right now we're going to stand pat. We're in the business of keeping good players, that's how I see it. … Me and (Darren Mougey) will continue to talk about these things and see how it goes."
Extra points
• Rookie cornerback D'Angelo Ponds took over as the team's primary nickel corner ahead of Jarvis Brownlee, and that likely will stick through the end of the season. Ponds played 22 snaps against the Chiefs, was dinged for allowing a touchdown by Pro Football Focus and was flagged for holding -- his fourth penalty of the season. "I just felt like it was time for him to go out there and play," Glenn said. "He's been improving in practice and I've always said when it was time for him to play he'd go out there and play."
• Stat of the day: According to TruMedia, the Jets are the No. 1 offense in the NFL in total expected points added on plays run in their own territory. On plays after they cross the 50-yard line, they rank 31st. That about sums up the season for the talented but frustrating Jets offense under Frank Reich.
• Wide receiver Omar Cooper hurt his ankle late in Sunday's game, but Glenn didn't seem worried about his status, either after the game or on Monday.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
