It didn’t take the Jets long to address the tight end position.
After finishing Tuesday with just two tight ends on their 53-man roster, the Jets claimed Brenden Bates off waivers from the Bears to fill out the position on Thursday.
Bates, a 24-year-old undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, caught six passes in the preseason with Chicago for 100 yards.
He was listed by the Bears at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds.
Over a six-year college career at Kentucky, Bates had 26 receptions for 272 yards.
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He now figures to have a chance to crack the Jets’ depth chart as they wait for Kenny Yeboah to come off injured reserve — which can’t happen for at least the first four weeks of the season.
Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert are atop the depth chart at the position.
The Jets also lost a player in the waiver carousel on Wednesday, with cornerback Shemar Bartholomew being picked up by the Panthers.
Bartholomew was an undrafted free agent who recorded eight tackles during the preseason.