One day after the New York Jets signed Perrion Winfrey to their practice squad, head coach Robert Saleh vouched for the controversial defensive lineman’s character.

“He's not a bad person,” Saleh said Wednesday. “Sometimes players make dumb mistakes … a lot of the stuff he's been accused of has been wiped clean. He's a good man. He's just gotta figure out how to make better decisions.”

Winfrey was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. The former Oklahoma lineman had seven QB pressures, a half sack, and 19 tackles in 13 games as a rookie.

However, Winfrey was released by the Browns on July 19th after he was accused of hitting a woman outside a Cleveland hotel. Charges were dropped in October when the alleged victim chose not to pursue the matter.

The 23-year-old was arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge involving his girlfriend in April, and he was robbed at gunpoint outside a Cleveland nightclub with Browns defensive back Greg Newsome II in June.

Jets defensive tackle Al Woods was lost for the season when he tore his Achilles in Week 8 against the New York Giants. Tanzel Smart was signed off the practice squad and played ten defensive snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers last week. That created the need for more depth on the D-line and an opportunity for Winfrey, who’s listed as 6-foot-4, 292 pounds, to get a second chance in the NFL.

The Jets defense is ranked first in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. They held the Chargers to 191 yards total offense Monday night.

This week, the Jets (4-4) visit the Las Vegas Raiders (4-5) on Sunday night, and they will be trying to bounce back after a woeful effort by their offense in a 27-6 loss to the Chargers.