Rex Ryan has described Kellen Winslow as a "warrior" following his first two games for the New York Jets.

The tight end had been a regular starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns earlier in his career, but missed the majority of the 2012 season after brief stints with the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

When asked about the 30-year-old in a press conference, the head coach said: "I tell you what, it's a great question because you want him to be Kellen Winslow like you remember Kellen Winslow.

"And then when he got here, but you weren't sure, he hadn't played, he gets here and you're like, 'Oh, wow'. I see the skills, I still see the great hands, the great route running and he moves better than I thought.

"He really is a warrior, there's no question and that's what I see about him. He loves to play. You wish every one of these guys, 53 of them, were like that. You wish your coaches were like that, but it's hard to be. It's who he is and I'm proud he's a Jet."

The Jets play the Buffalo Bills tomorrow.