Jets could be down top three WRs, two O-lineman — and one lead RB
The Jets have reached the looking-for-warm-bodies stage of their injury crisis.
As they prepare for Sunday’s game against the Colts, the Jets’ injury list is only growing longer. Sam Darnold is in danger of being without not only his starting running back and top three receivers, but also two starting offensive linemen.
The latest developments came Thursday, when coach Adam Gase tabbed receiver Jamison Crowder as “doubtful” before he missed another practice with a hamstring injury. Right tackle George Fant was also sidelined and in the concussion protocol after being involved in a collision during Wednesday’s practice.
“We’re down to whoever’s available, whoever’s got a pulse right now, we’re ready to go,” Gase said when asked about injury replacements at wide receiver.
Crowder and Fant were two of eight Jets who did not practice Thursday — though two absences were not injury related — but that doesn’t include the nine more on injured reserve, including wide receiver Denzel Mims and running back Le’Veon Bell. The rising injury toll has made a tough start to the season even more challenging, particularly in regard to Darnold’s offensive weapons — and how to evaluate the third-year quarterback without a stable group of targets.
With Breshad Perriman (ankle) and Mims (hamstring) already ruled out for Sunday, and Crowder trending toward joining them, Darnold’s top three receivers in Indianapolis could be Chris Hogan (limited in practice this week with a rib injury), Braxton Berrios and Josh Malone. Gase also indicated undrafted rookie Lawrence Cager could be called up from the practice squad this week to provide another option.
“A bunch of guys right now are really hungry,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. “They want to make an impression on the team. They’re going out competing and learning and working hard. It’s a really good group of kids.”
Crowder, Darnold’s favorite target last season, has not practiced since last Wednesday, when he was limited, though Gase did not want to completely rule him out yet.
“You can common-sense it if you want, I’m just not going to close the door on him if for some reason he feels like he’s feeling a lot better in the next two days,” Gase said. “But I would say it’s doubtful.”
The Jets had also worked in the offseason to revamp their offensive line to protect Darnold, but there could already be a new starting combination in Week 3. If Fant is unable to clear the concussion protocol in time, Chuma Edoga would be in line to start for him at right tackle. Center Connor McGovern is also battling a hamstring injury and hasn’t been able to practice yet, with Josh Andrews looming as his potential replacement.
The mounting injury list will give general manager Joe Douglas some roster gymnastics to do before Sunday, which Gase said they were working through.
The Jets are also trying to look into whether there might be a trend behind their soft-tissue injuries, though Gase pointed out they are not alone after a weekend in which the league was besieged by injuries to key players.
“You’re just hoping that this is one of those things of, we’re either not hardened up enough, just because we’ve played two games and didn’t have a preseason,” Gase said. “Maybe that’s part of the reason why, I’m not really sure. But we’re taking everything, all the information we get, and we’re trying to do different things to prevent soft-tissue injuries. Right now, it just seems like we’re having one every week or we’re having a couple in a game. So, we’re going to keep working to try to find the answer to it.”