John Conner waived by New York Jets

The New York Jets have waived fullback John Conner on Wednesday, according to CBS New York. The team reached an injury settlement with the 25-year-old, who has been dealing with MCL and hamstring injuries this season. He wasn't placed on injured reserve, but the Jets needed his roster spot and his replacement has been playing well. Coach Rex Ryan said that the move doesn't preclude the team from bringing him back in the future.

To take his spot on the roster, the Jets signed linebacker Marcus Dowtin from their practice squad. As noted, Conner's replacement, Lex Hilliard, has been playing well in relief. In the piece, Ryan talks about how well Hilliard has played on offense and special teams, and it seems like he really has caught on with the team.

It's unclear how close Conner was to returning from injury, but he didn't play a snap for the Jets in 2012. He played in all 16 games in 2011, and saw plenty of time in his rookie season in 2010 as well. He's free to sign with another team immediately, though it's likely he'll still need to miss some time.