The New York Jets announced Monday that they have released cornerback Tae Hayes. The move comes off the heels of the 26-year-old's arrest over the weekend in Alabama. Specifically, Hayes was arrested in Morgan County at 3:46 a.m. Sunday and was charged with marijuana possession. The charge is a second-degree misdemeanor.
Hayes posted a $300 bond and was released less than two hours after the arrest.
Initially, the Jets said in a statement (via Pro Football Talk) that they were aware of Hayes' arrest, but "will refrain from further comment as it is a pending legal matter." Fast forward over 24 hours, and the club has decided to cut bait with the defensive back.
Hayes joined the Jets in early October after signing onto the club's practice squad. He appeared in one game for New York (Week 6 vs. Philadelphia) and recorded two tackles while playing 19% of the defensive snaps and 45% of the special teams snaps.
The Appalachian State product entered the league as an undrafted free agent and initially signed on with the Jaguars in 2019. After being released from Jacksonville in mid-December of his rookie season, he bounced around the league quite a bit. He had brief stints with the Dolphins, Vikings, Cardinals, Panthers (two stints), Patriots, Lions, and Ravens before latching on with the Jets. In that time, Hayes also played in the USFL for the Birmingham Stallions, who won the championship that year.
For his NFL career, Hayes has tallied 18 tackles and two pass breakups in 14 regular season games.
