Jets safety Jaylen Key embracing role as ‘Mr. Irrelevant’

Carmen Vitali

NFC North Reporter

“Mr. Irrelevant” was anything but last week in Southern California.

New York Jets safety Jaylen Key became the 49th Mr. Irrelevant to take part in a week celebrating what was once an NFL punch line — but has slowly become a real distinction.

Key was selected by the Jets with the last pick (No. 257) in this year’s draft to add to a young secondary group in New York. The 24-year-old former Alabama defensive back now sits third on the depth chart at strong safety.

But Key has been here before.

He transferred from UAB to ‘Bama for his last year of college, wanting to compete with the best under Nick Saban for the Crimson Tide. Key wanted to reach the NFL and Alabama gave him the best chance to do that.

So Key began third on the depth chart entering camp. He was starting by the time it was over and played in all but two of Bama’s games last season.

“It was just going in and competing for our spot because that’s what it is on this level,” said Key. “It was for me to go in there and prepare for this level so it’d be almost a seamless transition, you know? For me, that’s what it was. So that’s what I did.

“I’m proud of that.”

Now, he aims to do it all over again at One Jets Drive.

Perhaps that’s why Key has been such a good sport all week. He was built for this kind of pressure and he’s also learned to laugh at it.

Irrelevant Week starts in Newport Beach, where the player is greeted and celebrated with a banquet. That was Key’s favorite part. He rode in on a boat, complete with cheerleaders, pomp and circumstance.

“It was pretty crazy,” Key laughed. “I came in on, like, a yacht. Oh my gosh, I was in the middle. We had cheerleaders around and when I pulled up to the banquet, everybody’s out cheering. There were more cheerleaders and a lot of pictures, a lot of signatures. It was fun.”

At the banquet, the “Lowsman Trophy” is awarded — a play off the “Heisman Trophy.” It depicts a player fumbling a football rather than securing one. The ceremony is all in good fun and it raises money for local charities, as well.

That’s not all.

Key tells me he also got roasted, another tradition.

Coming on the heels of the Tom Brady Roast, I asked him: was it bad?

“It was pretty bad,” Key shook his head laughing. “They talked about the Jets. They talked a lot about my quarterback.”

Key is already protective of Aaron Rodgers, as any good teammate would be. He’s met quite a few Jets fans on the West Coast, too. That was something a bit unexpected.

The rest of the week included the media circuit, which our interview was part of as Key toured the FOX studio lot. Key also attended an Angels game, went to Disneyland, learned to surf and even caught a football-shaped calzone in his hand.

Key now follows a long line of Mr. Irrelevants to participate in the celebrations.

The fun thing for Key is though, there is precedent for achievement after these good-humored celebrations. Recent Mr. Irrelevants have found great success. Quarterback Brock Purdy looks like the future under center for the San Francisco 49ers. Kicker Ryan Succop became the first Mr. Irrelevant to start on a Super Bowl-winning team with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season.

It turns out relevance can spring from unlikely spots.

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.