Heavy on Jets
The New York Jets’ depth took a big hit ahead of the Week 1 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Head coach Robert Saleh revealed to the media on Saturday, September 7 that offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer was ruled out for the season opener.
“Earlier this week… unfortunately just unfortunate injuries,” Saleh explained. He later confirmed that Schweitzer being placed on injured reserve is a strong possibility.
If that happened, Schweitzer would be out for at least four games. He joined the Jets in 2023 on a two-year deal for $5 million.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said on social media that Schweitzer “is headed to IR.”
Schweitzer is headed to IR, per Saleh. Looks like Newman will be the backup center, but Saleh wouldn’t confirm that, saying they have options. #Jets
This Is a Tough Injury for the Jets O-Line Heading Into the Season
The good news is Schweitzer wasn’t a starting player for the Jets. However, the bad news is he was the team’s top interior offensive lineman. Schweitzer has experience playing both guard and center.
Schweitzer has 2,129 career snaps at left guard, 440 career snaps at center, and 1,983 career snaps at right guard, per Pro Football Focus.
If an injury had happened to John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, or Alijah Vera-Tucker, Schweitzer would likely have been the first player the Jets called to replace them in the starting lineup.
Now the Jets will have to pivot to a different option.
“We have a lot of options. Knock on wood, we’ve got plenty of guys who took a lot of reps last year. I’ll keep that one
Jets Other Options on the Roster Aren’t as Experienced
Schweitzer, 30, was entering his ninth season at the NFL level. During that period, he has appeared in 86 games and has made 62 starts.
When Schweitzer has been on the field he has proven to be an effective player. However, attendance hasn’t always been guaranteed for the former San Jose State product.
Last season the Jets had to place Schweitzer on injured reserve on two separate occasions because of an array of injuries.
The good news is because of all of the injuries last season, the Jets’ second and third options on the offensive line have more experience than backups would typically have.
Those reserve/depth players were forced into the lineup and that might have been the only benefit of what was a tough year for the green and white.
On the roster, the two potential options to consider are Xavier Newman and Max Mitchell. Newman has been playing on the interior and Mitchell has experience at both guard and tackle.
If the team looks in-house they could promote from the practice squad. Gang Green has three options Kohl Levao, Obinna Eze, and Jake Hanson.
Levao is the most likely choice. He has exclusively played guard the last two years at the semi-professional level in the XFL and the UFL. With the green and white he has exclusively played guard during his reps throughout training camp and the preseason.
After the Jets put together its 53-man roster and practice squad, sources told me that Levao had a path to being active in Week 1 because of the injuries they were dealing with on the offensive line.
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Jets Suffer Serious Injury to $5 Million OL Days Before 49ers Game