Jets lose Arian Smith for season as David Onyemata undergoes surgery

The New York Jets have lost wide receiver Arian Smith for the rest of the season following ACL surgery, head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed on Wednesday. Defensive lineman David Onyemata also faces several weeks out after core muscle surgery, according to Eric Allen's reporting on the team's official website.

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Smith suffered his injury against Green Bay on Sunday. The receiver, whom New York selected from Georgia in the fourth round of the 2025 draft, had played predominantly on special teams this season, recording 21 snaps in that phase compared with three on offense. Glenn expressed confidence that Smith would recover well.

The confirmation followed Tuesday's placement of Smith, Onyemata and linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball on injured reserve. The club's transaction announcement said McCrary-Ball sustained an ankle injury against the Packers, having forced a fumble against Tennessee in Week 1. New York responded to the absences by signing receiver Malik McClain and defensive lineman Jack Heflin to its active roster.

McClain joined the practice squad on August 31 after initially signing as an undrafted free agent. He caught three passes for 33 yards in preseason and also worked as a gunner. His college career included stops at Florida State, Penn State and Arizona State, where his combined production across those schools totalled 72 catches for 993 yards and eight touchdowns.

Heflin also arrived on the practice squad on August 31. He appeared in each of the Jets' three preseason games, registering 14 tackles, including two for loss. His NFL experience includes seven games across spells with Green Bay, the Giants, New Orleans and the Rams. New York additionally added Isaiahh Loudermilk and Cody Hardy to the practice squad.

Wednesday brought further uncertainty over the available personnel. Mason Taylor, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kene Nwangwu and Kiko Mauigoa did not practice, with Glenn saying their progress would be assessed during the week. Joseph Ossai was nearing a return after a preseason foot injury, while rookie edge defender David Bailey was expected to be limited with an elbow problem.