ArDarius Stewart, fresh off a two-game suspension, becomes the fourth member of the New York Jets’ 2017 draft class to be released.
ArDarius Stewart’s New York Jets exile just became a little longer.
The veteran receiver was released on Wednesday, the team announced, days after his two-game suspension to open the season had ended. Stewart, a second-year pro, was assessed a two-game banishment this season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policies in July.
We have waived WR ArDarius Stewart.
MORE → https://t.co/aEWADmL4iM pic.twitter.com/cVmltoOYnF
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 19, 2018
Chosen in the third round of 2017’s draft out of Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide earn the national title after the 2015 season, Stewart appeared in 15 games with the Jets last season, picking up 82 yards on six receptions. He added 27 yards on the ground, carrying seven times.
His most notable Jets moment perhaps came during the 2017 preseason, when he tallied 82 yards on five receptions in the Jets’ annual exhibition against the New York Giants, their MetLife Stadium co-tenant. This preseason, Stewart had 41 yards on five catches.
This marks another blemish for the Jets’ 2017 draft class. First-rounder Jamal Adams has already developed into one of the league’s strongest secondary defenders, but Stewart becomes the fourth player from the nine-man class to be cut, joining receiver Chad Hansen (fourth round), linebacker Dylan Donahue (fifth), and cornerback Jeremy Clark (sixth).
Two others from the class, second-round safety Marcus Maye and sixth-round running back Elijah McGuire are rehabbing long-term injuries.
The Jets have yet to announce a corresponding move to Stewart’s release. They will return to action on Thursday night for a prime-time matchup against the Cleveland Browns on the road (8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network).