The New York Jets activated rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. from injured reserve this week, restoring the first-round pick to the active roster after he missed four games with a high-ankle sprain, via Jets insider Connor Hughes.
Head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that Cooper is expected to play Sunday against the New England Patriots, giving the 22-year-old a chance to resume the career that began with a single, promising snap sequence in Week 1.
Cooper, selected 30th overall in the 2026 draft out of Indiana, signed a four-year contract worth just over $17.4 million that includes a signing bonus of roughly $9.17 million.
In his only appearance this season, the Indianapolis native caught a short pass on the opening drive against the Titans, turned it into a 30-yard gain by breaking tackles, and helped set up a touchdown before leaving with the ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve.
The Jets, already dealing with other absences at receiver and running back, have ranked near the bottom of the league in scoring while sitting at 2-3.
Cooper’s return offers an immediate addition of speed and after-the-catch ability to an offense that has struggled to generate consistent production.
At Indiana, Cooper developed into one of the program’s most productive receivers across four seasons.
After redshirting in 2022, he finished his career with 115 receptions for 1,798 yards and 22 touchdowns in 42 games, plus a handful of carries that produced 97 rushing yards and two scores.
His senior year under coach Curt Cignetti was especially notable: he led the Hoosiers in receiving yards with 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns while helping the team capture its first national championship.
Highlights included a 10-catch, 207-yard, four-touchdown outburst against Indiana State that tied a school single-game record and a dramatic toe-tap touchdown reception at Penn State that sealed a late win.
Those performances, combined with second-team All-Big Ten recognition, established him as a polished route runner with reliable hands and the ability to create separation in short and intermediate areas.
Glenn has described the excitement of getting a young player back who already flashed in limited action, noting the catch-and-run opportunities the coaching staff envisions for him.
With fellow first-rounder Kenyon Sadiq also working back from a concussion and other skill-position injuries lingering, Cooper steps into a situation where targets could be available quickly if he remains healthy.
For a Jets team still searching for offensive rhythm midway through the season, the activation of the former Hoosier represents both a restoration of draft capital and a chance for the rookie to build on the brief but eventful start he made in Tennessee.
