The first major injury of the 2022 offseason just occurred during the green and white scrimmage for the New York Jets.
Offensive lineman Conor McDermott had to be carted off of the field, per Justin Fried of The Jet Press.
The cart is out for Conor McDermott. #Jets fans applaud as he’s taken off.
Hoping for the best, but it doesn’t look great.
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Doesn’t Look Great
Throughout the offseason, the Jets have made a concerted effort to change the way they practice to prevent injuries.
To this point, the green and white have maintained a clean bill of health. Although inevitably the injury bug was going to come screaming, it seems to have bit the offensive line.
Conor McDermott is hurt. He went down grabbing his leg. #Jets
Connor Hughes of SNY said McDermott is hurt and went down “grabbing his leg.”
Nicole Esther, a Jets fan that was in attendance for the scrimmage, captured video of McDermott being helped off of the field by multiple trainers. Ultimately the cart had to be called out to get him back to the locker room.
There are no details available yet on the severity of the injury, but it appears to be very serious according to multiple reports.
A Pressing Issue
They say timing is everything in life and that was evident at the Jets’ green-and-white scrimmage.
Rich Cimini of ESPN shared earlier on Saturday, August 6 that the Jets would be hosting veteran offensive tackle Duane Brown on a visit.
That visit included Brown attending the Jets’ annual scrimmage on Saturday. With McDermott going down with what appears to be a very serious injury, the offensive tackle depth chart is looking even shakier than it did yesterday.
Regardless of how you feel about Mekhi Becton or George Fant, you have to be prepared for every possible scenario. Right now the Jets have absolutely zero plan if either of those players is hurt or compromised in any way.
Adding a player of Brown’s caliber would completely change the dynamic in the trenches. They would immediately have a proven commodity that could compete with the guys in the room and has the resume to step in and play if needed.
The Jets have done homework on the offensive tackle class both during the 2022 NFL draft and in the latter stages of free agency. They resisted the urge to pull the trigger during the draft and so far have yet to add a body of significance to the room.
Perhaps this latest injury could push their aggression over the goal line to get something done with Brown or another available free agent.
General manager Joe Douglas knows how important trench play is because he’s a former offensive lineman. He has done a remarkable job improving this unit since he has taken over, but as he said after the draft, they will never be complacent with where they are at.
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Jets Veteran Carted off the Field at Scrimmage: Report