Getty New York Jets wide receivers Denzel Mims and Braxton Berrios celebrate a touchdown on October 31, 2021.
After many had him pegged for a breakout campaign, it’s been a rough second year in the league for wide receiver Denzel Mims.
The New York Jets second-round pick in 2020 has been forced into a depth role this season after Joe Douglas added weapons like Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and Keelan Cole. He also came down with food poisoning in OTAs, as well as a brief preseason injury. Both delayed his progress in learning a new playbook.
Mims recently received his first two starts of the season in place of the injured Davis, but he didn’t have too much of an impact despite a historic offensive turnaround that included 997 total yards and 64 points scored. The Baylor product only accounted for 50 of those yards off three receptions.
Now after recent news, it appears his hard-luck season will continue.
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Mims Tests Positive for COVID
According to NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo, “Mims has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.”
#Jets WR Denzel Mims has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini added that since he’s vaccinated, “he can return with 2 negative tests at least 24 hrs apart and he is asymptomatic for 48 hours.”
Jets WR Denzel Mims has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive. He is vaccinated, which means he can return with 2 negative tests at least 24 hrs apart and he is asymptomatic for 48 hours. #Jets
It’s another bad break for Mims who could be in danger of missing Week 10 if he doesn’t test negative in time for Sunday’s matchup with the Buffalo Bills. Davis is currently listed as questionable to return from a hip injury that has cost him the past two weeks.
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Jets Receiving Core Could Be Short-Handed
Gang Green is deeper at wide receiver than most positions, especially since they decided to keep impending free agents like Cole and Jamison Crowder at the trade deadline.
There’s a decent chance that Davis returns and retakes his starting role from Mims anyway, but let’s say he doesn’t. It’ll be interesting to see what Mike LaFleur does with both of his “Z” wide receivers missing in action.
The assumption would be that both “X” wide-outs start opposite one another, meaning Cole and Moore on the outside and Crowder in the slot with Jeff Smith and Braxton Berrios as the primary substitutes. This may not seem like much of a difference in the passing attack, but it could create a huge problem in the run game.
Davis and Mims are the Jets’ two best blocking WRs, and their absence coupled with the Tyler Kroft injury could make things more challenging for Michael Carter and Ty Johnson on outside runs — the specialty of this scheme. LaFleur has been flashing his creativity as a coordinator more and more as the season has gone on and he may have to keep that trend going in Week 10.
Whether Mike White or Zach Wilson is starting at quarterback, these absences certainly wouldn’t help the Green & White against a number one ranked Bills defense. The Jets will await Mims’ next couple of test results as the week progresses.
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