As the Alliance of American Football heads into its third week, plenty of former Jets have been playing well in the new league.
Three ex-Jets sit among the top-five in receiving yards, while one quarterback leads the AAF in passing touchdowns. There’s also a former Jets running back who already has the most rushing yards in the league.
Needless to say, the startup is going well for several ex-Gang Green players as they try to work their way back to the NFL. Let’s take a closer look.
WR Charles Johnson
The Orlando Apollos are 2-0 and lead the AAF in passing yards, in part because Charles Johnson has tallied a league-high 252 yards in two weeks, including a seven-catch, 192-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 2. The former Jet has the same speed he did when he played in the NFL, as evidenced by his 51-yard catch in the Apollos’ 37-29 win over the San Antonio Commanders. His 5.6 yards per route is also far-and-above the best in the league.
WR Jalin Marshall
Johnson may have the yards, but teammate Jalin Marshall is also tearing it up in Orlando. After two weeks, Marshall is fourth in the AAF with 135 yards and has two touchdowns. Marshall, who also returned kicks with the Jets, is showing off his agility and route running.
QB John Wolford
Wolford, who played briefly for the Jets during the 2018 preseason, leads the AAF with six passing touchdowns and his Arizona Hotshots are 2-0. On the season, Wolford has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 469 yards – both third-highest in the league. Wolford threw four touchdown passes in Week 1, which garnered him AAF Offensive Player of the Week honors.
RB Zac Stacy
Stacy leads the AAF in rushing yards for the Memphis Express after two weeks with 159 yards on 31 attempts and one touchdown. Ironically, that’s 70 more yards than Stacy tallied in eight games for the Jets in 2015 on the exact same amount of carries. In Week 2, Stacy became the first AAF player to rush for over 100 yards in a game. However, the Christian Hackenberg-led Express couldn’t beat the Wolford-led Hotshots.
K Nick Folk
Folk had a long career in the NFL with the Cowboys, Jets and Buccaneers, but he now finds himself kicking in the AAF for the Hotshots. In Week 1, Folk went 2-3 on field goals, including a 53-yarder in a 38-22 win over the Salt Lake Stallions.
WR Quinton Patton
Patton lasted less than three months with the Jets, but he’s already third in the AAF in receiving. After two weeks, the Birmingham Iron wideout has 151 receiving yards on only seven receptions. He doesn’t have a touchdown, but he’s averaging 21 yards per reception, including a huge catch in 101-yard Week 1 performance in a blowout win over the Express.
LB Trevor Reilly
Reilly spent two seasons on the Jets after New York drafted him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. Reilly wasn’t able to make a name for himself with the Jets and failed to stick with the Patriots after the 2017 season. But, in the AAF, Reilly has seven tackles and one forced fumble for the Orlando Apollos. Reilly has also shown off his coverage skills, only allowing six receptions for 39 receiving yards on nine targets.
DE Anthony Johnson
Johnson joined the Jets practice squad in 2016, but was released in 2017. In the AFF, he is actually thriving with two sacks in two weeks for the Memphis Express, which is fifth in the league. Johnson also has nine total tackles, which is top-10 in the AAF thus far.
