New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis has applied for reinstatement to the NFL, according to ESPN's Field Yates.
Yates noted that the Jets are expected to release Davis from the team's reserve/retired list on Thursday. A potential return to New York on a separate contract is still on the table, however.
Davis announced that he was stepping away from football in Aug. 2023 after six years in the league, although he now has his sights set on a return.
Davis signed with the Jets in free agency during the 2021 offseason, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $37.5 million. After recording 984 yards and five touchdowns in his 2020 campaign with the Tennessee Titans, he was never able to reach those heights at MetLife Stadium.
In his two seasons with the Jets combined, he hauled in 66 receptions for 1,028 yards. The 29-year-old struggled with injuries while also dealing with inconsistent quarterback play, appearing in just 22 of a possible 34 games with the organization.
NFL @NFLJoe Flacco to Corey Davis for the 76-yard TD!!!!<br><br>📺: <a href="">#NYJvsCLE</a> on CBS<br>📱: Stream on NFL+ <a href=""> <a href="">
Although the Jets are expected to release him, the front office still holds him in high regard. New York could certainly attempt to bring him back as the team prepares for the return of Aaron Rodgers at the start of the 2024 season, according to SNY's Connor Hughes.
"The Jets would welcome [Davis] back with open arms," Hughes wrote on March 7. "The organization, top on down, loves him. So does Aaron Rodgers. It's just a matter of if Davis wants to play."
It's also worth mentioning that the organization entered the offseason looking for wide receivers to complement former Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, although the Jets haven't signed a free agent to fill that hole just yet.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that New York was targeting Calvin Ridley prior to the start of free agency, although Ridley signed a four-year deal with the Titans worth $92 million on Wednesday.
