New York Jets TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins celebrating one year of sobriety

New York Jets tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins enjoyed a solid 2017 campaign with his new team. He’s also now celebrating one full calendar year of sobriety.

New York Jets fans can be proud of tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins today, as he posted on his Instagram page that he has been sober for one year.

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Seferian-Jenkins has been open about his struggles with alcoholism after checking into rehab at the end of last season.

He was picked up by the Jets after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released him following a DUI arrest in 2016. At one point, he said that he thought his NFL career was finished after last season. It wasn’t, and he took advantage of the extra opportunity.

In his post, Seferian-Jenkins went out of his way to thank the Jets for giving him a chance and thanked his teammates and coaches for helping him through his first year of sobriety, in addition to thanking his mother.

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The tight end is a free agent if the Jets don’t re-sign him, but he enjoyed a great season for the Jets. He finished with career highs in catches with 50 and yards with 357 while added three touchdowns. ESNY’s Matthew Castillo named him Mr. Must-Return in his superlatives piece, a sentiment ESNY’s Paul Esden echoed.

He has 60 reception for 467 yards and the three touchdowns he scored in 2017 during his tenure with the Jets and career totals of 105 receptions, 1,070 yards, and 10 touchdowns during his four-year NFL career. He served as a spark for the offense this season.

His breakout season helped quarterback Josh McCown have a great season, supplying a great check-down option for the veteran. This was especially important with top wide receiver Quincy Enunwa out for the season. A sure-handed tight end in the flats allows a quarterback to take a little longer going through his progressions, a big deal considering how suspect the offensive line play was at times.

It was a great year for Seferian-Jenkins on the field, but an even better year for him off it.

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