The New York Jets made a move to strengthen their defensive line depth on Friday, announcing the signing of defensive lineman Bruce Hector to the active roster. Hector will be available for the Jets’ game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
New York (3-6) needed additional help on the defensive front after placing veteran tackle Leki Fotu on injured reserve due to a knee injury. Hector’s signing is part of a series of roster moves, which also saw the Jets sign kicker Anders Carlson to the practice squad and release Riley Patterson.
Hector has had multiple stints with the Jets, first joining the team in 2023 on their practice squad. This season, after being cut from the preseason roster, he was re-signed to the practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster earlier this season and recorded three tackles in the Jets’ Week 4 loss to Denver. By signing him off the practice squad, the Jets seem to plan on keeping Hector with the team for the foreseeable future.
A South Florida product, Hector went undrafted in 2018 and has spent time with several NFL teams, including Philadelphia, Arizona, Carolina, Tennessee, Detroit, and Houston. He has had multiple stints with the Jets, Texans, and Eagles. Hector’s most games in a season came in his rookie year with Philadelphia, when he appeared in 16 games, making one start and recording 11 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and two quarterback hits.
In 2023, Hector was briefly drafted by the XFL’s Arlington Renegades before being released to sign with the Jets.
Fotu, who was signed by the Jets in the offseason to provide depth at interior tackle, has struggled to gain traction this year. After a preseason hamstring injury put him on IR to start the season, he returned in mid-October, only to suffer a knee injury in the Jets’ game against New England. Due to a short week leading into the Houston game last Thursday, Fotu didn’t practice, and the Jets decided to return him to injured reserve.
While the Jets don’t believe Fotu’s season is over, he won’t be eligible to return for a few weeks. This could open up a bigger opportunity for Hector to see significant playing time, potentially his most extensive action since his rookie season.