The injury bug has bitten the New York Jets in the middle of the 2023 offseason.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic shared on Twitter that defensive back Chuck Clark is believed to have suffered a “serious knee injury.”
It’s believed that Chuck Clark suffered a serious knee injury, per sources.
That helps explain why the #Jets signed Adrian Amos.
They weren’t in on Amos until recently (he visited Ravens on Mon, his 2nd visit) but the opportunity to now start for the Jets sold him.
According to Rosenblatt, the team is still awaiting an official ruling on the matter. Clark “is due for a second opinion” on the injury.
NFL Insider Aaron Wilson said there is “major concern” that Clark “may have suffered” a season-ending knee injury “including potential ACL damage,” but that news hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Wilson confirmed that Clark is seeking a “second opinion” and there are “more exams pending” as the team and Clark hold out hope.
There’s major concern that #Jets veteran safety Chuck Clark may have suffered season-ending knee injury, including potential anterior cruciate ligament damage, per league source, but that is not confirmed at this time. Second opinion, more exams pending, per source.
Chuck Clark Injury Explains Jets Urgency to Sign Adrian Amos
On Tuesday, June 13 the Jets announced that they had signed veteran safety Adrian Amos to a contract.
It is a one-year deal that can be worth up to $4 million according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz of The Score.
Rosenblatt said this injury news “helps explain” the signing.
Schultz also confirmed the news saying Clark suffered “what could be a significant knee injury that might sideline him for quite some time.”
Rosenblatt said the Jets weren’t in on Amos “until recently.” However, the “opportunity to start” with the Jets “sold him” on coming to New York.
A Tough Break for Jets DB Chuck Clark
General manager Joe Douglas earned a ton of praise on social media for acquiring Clark this offseason.
The 28-year-old defensive back was traded from the Baltimore Ravens to New York in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft choice on March 15.
He was expected to immediately jump into the starting lineup for the green and white in 2023. That is something the experienced defensive back had become accustomed to in the pros.
During his six seasons in the NFL, Clark has appeared in 96 games and has made 63 starts. He was currently in the middle of an ironman streak having played “1,248 consecutive snaps dating back to Week 16 of 2021,” per Jets reporter Caroline Hendershot.
That impressive streak is set to end with this latest injury news.
Clark is heading into the last year of his $15.3 million contract. He had already confirmed publically that he was willing to play out the final year of his deal and figure things out next offseason when he was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
#Jets DB Chuck Clark (@ChuckC36) confirmed that he’s going to play out the final year of his contract in 2023 & then he’ll worry about things next offseason 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight
In his career, Clark has totaled five interceptions, recorded over 384 combined tackles, 32 pass deflections, and has forced five fumbles.
This is the first big casualty of the Jets’ offseason. In 2022 Gang Green suffered an array of injuries, most of which came in the offensive line room.
However, the defense pretty much came out completely unscathed. It seemed inevitable that the injuries were going to flip to the other side of the ball in 2023.
Gang Green has already added Amos who figures to immediately replace Clark in the starting lineup next to Jordan Whitehead who will be entering his second season in New York.
If this Clark injury is as serious as it seems the Jets could look to add another safety to the room to ensure depth beyond the top-two starters.
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New Jets Starter ‘Suffered a Serious Knee Injury’: Report