Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt entered the 2025 season ready to make an impact for the New York Giants after barely being utilized in 2024.

“Obviously I didn’t have a lot of opportunities last year,” said Hyatt in June. “But I felt like I didn’t make most of my opportunities when I did have them. And that’s how this game goes — you take advantage of the opportunities, [then] you get more. And that’s really my mindset going into year three.”

Unfortunately for Hyatt, he didn’t see the field in New York’s Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders.

The former Tennessee standout received zero snaps in the 21-6 loss.

Jalin Hyatt is staying positive despite the adversity

It’s been a tough start to Hyatt’s NFL career.

The South Carolina native found moderate success as a rookie, catching 23 passes for 373 yards in 2023.

But after barely seeing the field last season, frustration started to mount for the former third round draft pick.

“We got some talks we gotta have, but we’ll see,” said Hyatt after the 2024 season ended when asked if he might need a change of scenery.

After receiving zero snaps in Week 1, it would be understandable if Hyatt still feels frustrated. And while I’m sure he does on the inside, he’s doing his best to project a positive mindset.

“It was a little surprising,” said Hyatt to NJ.com of receiving zero snaps in Week 1. “But that’s maybe how the game was going. I can’t really dwell on that. I can’t really let that bring me down. It’s a long season.”

“Last year, these kinds of things started happening, and it got in my head too much,” added Hyatt. “So when I did have a chance, I didn’t take advantage of it. This year, I want to do it different. OK, I got zero snaps [in Week 1]. That’s cool. Let’s zone in on this week. Anything can happen. If my opportunity is there, I’m going to take advantage of it.”

Hyatt has been through adversity before. He didn’t play as much as he wanted as a sophomore at Tennessee in 2021. So he rededicated himself to football and proceeded to win the Biletnikoff Award in 2022.

At this point, Hyatt just wants an opportunity. And thanks to his positive mindset, it sounds like he’ll be ready if/when that opportunity presents itself.

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