The New York Jets have signed veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard to their practice squad, the team announced Tuesday. The move comes as rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is expected to miss time with an ankle sprain.
Shepard, 33, brings eight seasons of NFL experience, all spent with the New York Giants, where he amassed 4,095 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in 90 games. He most recently played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the past two seasons, appearing in 13 games last year and recording 39 receptions for 371 yards and one touchdown. Shepard was briefly with the Houston Texans in training camp this summer before being released.
Cooper Jr., whom the Jets selected with the 30th overall pick in the recent draft, suffered his ankle sprain during the Jets' season-opening victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He is currently considered week-to-week.
With Cooper Jr. sidelined, Shepard will join a receiving corps that includes Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell. Isaiah Williams and Arian Smith are the other two receivers on the Jets' active roster. Shepard would need to be elevated from the practice squad to be eligible for a game.