WR Denzel Mims requests trade from Jets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Denzel Mims wants out.
The 2020 second-round wide receiver has requested a trade from the New York Jets, his agent Ron Slavin said Thursday in a statement to multiple reporters. Slavin claims the Jets have repeatedly told Mims' camp that they will not release him.
“It’s just time,” Slavin's statement said. “Denzel has tried in good faith but it is clear he does not have a future with the Jets. Denzel vowed to come back better than ever this season and he worked extremely hard in the offseason to make that happen. Still, he has been given no opportunities with the starting offense to get into a groove with them.
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"We feel at this point a trade is our only option, since the Jets have repeatedly told us they will not release him. Joe Douglas has always done right by Denzel and we trust that he will do everything in his power to find another team where Denzel can be a contributor."
The 6-foot-3 Mims, who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash ahead of the 2020 draft, has yet to live up to the tantalizing potential he showed coming out of Baylor.
After being selected 59th overall by New York, Mims recorded 23 receptions for 357 yards across nine games as a rookie. Last season, which was the first under head coach Robert Saleh, Mims made just eight catches for 133 yards in 11 games. He was a healthy scratch in two of New York's first three contests.
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The Jets' wide receiver room has gotten substantially more crowded since Mims was drafted as well. New York signed Corey Davis in the 2021 offseason, drafted Elijah Moore in the 2021 second round and drafted Garrett Wilson 10th overall in 2022. Braxton Berrios, who was an All-Pro returner last season, has emerged at the position, too.
Mims said earlier this month that he views himself as a starter, but it doesn't seem like the Jets agree. Mims was the seventh Jets receiver to get into the team's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he played into the fourth quarter of the second preseason game versus the Atlanta Falcons.
The question now is whether New York is ready to end the Mims experiment.
