Week 2 presents a big-time opportunity for the New York Jets: their first divisional matchup. A Sunday meeting with the Buffalo Bills is already on the horizon, and Aaron Glenn’s crew faces a tall task in slowing down Josh Allen.
Gang Green has a mixed bag of an injury report entering the weekend. Fortunately, Glenn provided a huge update on his best player.
Aaron Glenn Provides Positive Sauce Gardner Week 2 Injury Update
Speaking to the media on Friday morning, Glenn gave his state of the union. The biggest news is superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner is tracking to suit up on Sunday.
“I’ll start with injuries first,” Glenn said. “We have Jay [Tufele], who has an illness. Most of these guys, there’s a number of evaluations still going on. You guys get the report by the end of the day anyway. Sauce had a groin; I think he’ll be OK. Josh [Reynolds] has a hamstring, so we’ll continue to evaluate that and we’ll know at the end of the day. Other than that, I think we’re pretty clean for the most part. Kene [Nwangwu] is another one. You’ll get that at the end of the day also.”
Gardner suffered his groin ailment in Thursday’s practice, Glenn confirmed. He’ll be limited again on Friday, but all signs point to him being available for the game.
“Yes, that was yesterday in practice,” Glenn said. “He’s going to be out there on a limited basis.”
Glenn also chimed in on the latest with rookie tight end Mason Taylor, who was limited on Thursday with an ankle injury.
“We know in this league that no one is 100%,” Glenn said. “That’s just how it is, even at this time, even though it’s this early, because you go through training camp. Listen, every player fights it. We’ll see exactly where he’s at by game time. He’ll be [practicing] on a limited basis. But he’s tough, he’s competitive, so I put nothing past that player.”
Jets Need All Hands on Deck for Weekend Matchup Against Bills
Simply put, the Jets need Gardner in order to have a chance to compete. The two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro is seeking a rebound year, which got off to a good start in Week 1. In his first game since signing a record contract extension, Gardner shut down Pittsburgh Steelers wideout DK Metcalf to open the year. Glenn was full of praise in the aftermath of the performance.
Gardner’s presence also has a ripple effect on the secondary as a whole. Several players follow his lead, including veteran Brandon Stephens. Stephens, a Jets offseason signing, struggled in his team debut in Week 1. He got beat in coverage several times and missed an interception against Pittsburgh. In what was a two-point loss, outings like the one Stephens had can make the difference. New York remains committed to him for Week 2 (and seemingly beyond).
Considering who the Jets will face on Sunday, they need all hands on deck. Allen, the reigning NFL MVP, has rounded into a top quarterback in the sport. His 2025 debut couldn’t have been much more impressive, either. In a thrilling comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens, he threw for 394 yards and had 4 total touchdowns.
Glenn was forthcoming with Allen applause. He knows that if there’s an opportunity to pull off an upset, it’ll be because folks like Gardner step up.
Jets HC Drops Sauce Gardner Injury Update for Week 2