After a testing 2019, Chris Herndon is back looking to make an impact for the New York Jets
When he was 23, it wasn’t a very good year. It wasn’t a very good year, for Chris Herndon of the New York Jets. First, he was suspended. Then a season ending injury.
When he was 23.
It was anything but an ideal 2019 for Herndon, the New York Jets tight end who at first was suspended last year for the first four games of the season then suffered a season-ending injury that cut his campaign to just a single game. He acknowledges that he is mentally in a good spot right now, saying “It was really tough, feeling like it wasn’t good internally” until he finally found himself in a positive place heading into this offseason.
“It was tough, it didn’t go exactly as planned – especially coming off suspension. It was definitely a big learning year for me, a chance for me to step back and watch from the outside,” Herndon said last week during a conference call with the media.
“It made me appreciate even more because that was just a quick view of how that could be taken from me. It wasn’t the best year but I definitely learned a lot and grew from it as well.”
He was primed for a breakout year but it ended up being anything but what was envisioned of the young tight end.
There were big expectations for Herndon in 2019, who had 39 catches for 502 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2018. He was emerging as one of quarterback Sam Darnold’s favorite targets and he was projected to take another step forward.
Then the suspension was followed by a season-ending hamstring injury that ended up making 2019 a bit of a lost season. Now, he heads into this training camp hoping and expecting to be a big part of the offense alongside fellow tight end Ryan Griffin.
Herndon hopes to get back on the same page with Darnold and the offense, making 2020 unforgettable after such an entirely forgettable season.
“That just comes with continuing to get reps, continuing to stay in the playbook. Doing what I have to do, doing what my teammates and coaches are asking [of] me,” Herndon said.
“With that, that will put you in the right position to make plays, and be on the field and help the team out as much as possible.”
