Former Patriots WR Chris Hogan OKs deal with Jets

The Jets were in need of a veteran receiver with rookie Denzel Mims, the team’s second-rounder, missing the first few practices with a hamstring injury. Vyncint Smith also was sidelined Sunday with a core injury and will see a specialist, Gase said.

Hogan, 32, a native of Wyckoff, N.J., will have played for all four AFC East teams if he sticks with the Jets. He was signed by San Francisco as an undrafted free agent in 2011, and also spent time with the Giants (2011) and Miami (2011-12) before joining Buffalo. After four seasons with the Bills, Hogan signed with New England and was part of three Super Bowl teams in his three years, winning two rings.

“Obviously, we’ve competed against him quite a bit,” Gase said. “We just feel he’s a good fit for us.”

Hogan has 202 career receptions for 2,677 yards and 18 touchdowns in eight NFL seasons.

Quarterback Alex Smith was activated off the physically unable to perform list by Washington’s NFL team, the latest step in a remarkable recovery after his right leg was broken in two places during a game nearly two years ago.

The move means that Smith now is allowed to participate in Washington’s padded practices when the team can move to that phase of training camp Tuesday.

It could make for an interesting dynamic at QB, where Washington also has Dwayne Haskins, its 2019 first-round draft pick, and free agent addition Kyle Allen.

The 36-year-old Smith is signed through 2022. He hasn’t played since November 2018, when his right fibula and tibia broke when Smith was hit during a loss to the Houston Texans. A physical exam last month showed the leg was medically recovered from the gruesome injury, but he was placed on the PUP list then because he wasn’t yet fully cleared for contact or full football activity.

Smith threw for 2,180 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games with Washington after being acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in a trade and signed to a $94 million, four-year contract.

The Panthers signed tight end Andrew Vollert, who earned national attention when he was shown on “Hard Knocks: Los Angeles” telling Chargers coach Anthony Lynn to his face “you’ve got to be [expletive] kidding me” after learning he was being released on Aug. 1. The undrafted 25-year-old tight end suffered a torn ACL in the 2019 preseason and was placed on injured reserve by the Chargers and was hoping to battle back and make the roster this season.