Jets Lost $2 Million Starter to Ankle Injury, Placed on Injured Reserve

Heavy on Jets

The New York Jets lost a key piece to their defense.

Gang Green announced on social media that they have placed veteran starting safety Chuck Clark on injured reserve. He will have to miss at least the next four games due to an ankle injury.

The former Virginia Tech product was injured during the Week 6 contest against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.

Clark will be eligible to return for the Week 11 Sunday Night Football game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Clark Had Been a Key Cog on the Backend of the Jets Defense

The green and white originally acquired Clark in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens in March of 2023. Baltimore sent Clark to New York in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft choice.

Clark was projected to start at safety, but he ended up tearing his ACL in the final play of OTAs last summer. He ended up missing the rest of the season.

The Jets brought him back this offseason on a one-year deal for $2 million.

This season for the Jets, Clark appeared and started in the first six games. Before getting injured, Clark had appeared in 85% of the defensive snaps.

Clark was known as a reliable veteran. He is a glue guy as a leader and had a track record as a sound tackler before he arrived in New Jersey.

Jets Will Have to Turn to in House Options for New Solutions

Clark’s absence was felt in the middle of the Buffalo game in Week 6.

In the heat of the moment, the Jets turned to Ashtyn Davis to fill Clark’s role. It didn’t go well.

He missed tackles, took poor angles, and struggled in coverage. The worst of which occurred with 6:54 remaining in the second quarter. Buffalo had the ball at the Jets’ eight-yard line on third and goal.

Wide receiver Mack Hollins was in man-to-man coverage versus Davis. Hollins immediately beat him off the line and secured the easy touchdown to give the Bills the lead.

In the middle of the game, the Jets didn’t have a ton of great options to turn to. However with a week to get ready for their next game, the green and white must adapt.

Clark ain’t coming back for a minimum of a month.

One option that is already on the roster is veteran Jalen Mills. He is on the team’s practice squad but he was elevated for the Bills game.

Mills, 30, has a ton of experience. He has appeared in 107 games and has made 83 starts during his nine-year NFL career to date. Mills would provide a nice complement to his much younger counterpart Tony Adams who is starting at the other safety spot.

At this stage of his career, Mills can provide a stabilizing presence on the backend of the Jets’ defense. With how well their corners have played, the safeties just have to do their jobs nothing more and nothing less.

If they don’t want to go in that direction, the Jets will likely have to seek help from outside of the building.