Less than a year after “stepping away from the sport of football,” former NFL wide receiver Corey Davis is set to return to the league, according to ESPN, applying for reinstatement after a season on the reserve/retired list.
Davis, 29, announced last August, just before the start of the 2023 campaign, that he would be “stepping away … at this time” and looked forward to spending more time with family. While he did not officially label himself retired, the New York Jets designated him as such, though they have since released the wideout from his contract,.
A return to the Jets on a new deal is possible, but Davis will more than likely test the open market as a free agent. Originally a first-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2017, the Western Michigan product was one of the Jets’ top offseason additions back in 2021, signing a three-year, $37.5 million contract to help headline New York’s passing attack. He missed 12 games due to injury over his first two seasons with the team, however, before stepping away in 2023.
Davis flashed in Tennessee prior to joining the Jets, serving as one of the Titans’ top pass targets. Twice in his first four seasons, he eclipsed 65 catches and 850 yards, logging a career-high 984 yards and five touchdowns in 2020.