It didn’t take the Jets long to address the tight end position.
After finishing Tuesday with just two tight ends on their 53-man roster, the Jets claimed Brenden Bates off waivers from the Bears to fill out the position on Thursday.
Bates, a 24-year-old undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, caught six passes in the preseason with Chicago for 100 yards.
He was listed by the Bears at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds.
Over a six-year college career at Kentucky, Bates had 26 receptions for 272 yards.
He now figures to have a chance to crack the Jets’ depth chart as they wait for Kenny Yeboah to come off injured reserve — which can’t happen for at least the first four weeks of the season.
Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert are atop the depth chart at the position.
The Jets also lost a player in the waiver carousel on Wednesday, with cornerback Shemar Bartholomew being picked up by the Panthers.
Bartholomew was an undrafted free agent who recorded eight tackles during the preseason.
The Jets, however, quickly made up for losing him by signing free-agent defensive back Lewis Cine to their practice squad, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Cine, a 2022 first-round pick with the Vikings, saw his time with Minnesota derailed by injuries — namely a compound fracture to his left leg sustained during a punt return two seasons ago — but brings a higher ceiling than most practice-squad signings due to his pedigree.
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