Quadree Henderson signs with Jacksonville Jaguars

Former Pitt return specialist and wide receiver Quadree Henderson was waived by the New York Jets last week, but he quickly found another NFL opportunity, as he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday.

Henderson’s stint with the Jets was short-lived and restricted to the 2019 offseason. He signed with the AFC East team on April 5 and was waived before its first preseason game, a 31-22 loss to the New York Giants. The Giants are another team Henderson briefly played for, and that several-month stint occurred primarily in the 2018 season.

With the Giants, Henderson saw action in five games after ascending from the practice squad to the active roster last October. In that five-game span, Henderson returned five kicks for a total of 112 yards and nine punts for 68 yards. He also got a long look from the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in 2018, signing with the team in April and playing in multiple preseason games before being cut in September.

Last season, the Jaguars utilized multiple returners for both kicks and punts. Dede Westbrook emerged as the team’s top punt returner, as he returned 19 punts for 266 yards and a touchdown. That placed his average at 14.0 yards per return. However, the kick returner position appears to be wide open, as the Jaguars’ 26 returns were split between nine returners. None of them amassed more than seven returns or 200 yards.

At Pitt, Henderson accumulated 1,166 total return yards and earned consensus All-American honors in 2016. He then led the Panthers with 1,204 all-purpose yards in 2017 before forgoing his senior season to go pro. He will wear No. 81 for the Jaguars, whose next preseason game is scheduled for Thursday.