The New York Jets will be down multiple key players ahead of their Week 2 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
“Good morning. When it comes to the injuries, not much has changed, just a couple of names. Kene (Nwangwu), Omar (Cooper Jr.), (Joseph) Ossai, and Minkah (Fitzpatrick), they’ll be out this game. Everybody else, Will (McDonald IV), (D’Angelo) Ponds, (Jamien) Sherwood, (David) Onyemata, (Jarvis) Brownlee, those guys will be good, they’ll be good. Will had a smaller deal yesterday, but he’ll be fine,” head coach Aaron Glenn explained on Friday, September 18.
Nwangwu is one of the Jets’ key returners and a former All-Pro. He missed Week 1 due to a back issue. Cooper had a sensational catch-and-run for 30 receiving yards against the Tennessee Titans, but he got hurt at the end of the play. Ossai has been battling a foot problem since the preseason finale. He isn’t ready to make his regular-season debut.
NFL analyst Will Parkinson told Jake Asman on ESPN New York that Fitzpatrick’s injury is the most “disappointing” of the bunch.
“I think we probably see him more like the Browns game [in Week 5], but maybe he gets back by Chicago [in Week 4],” Parkinson said.
Ponds Is Back
It was widely speculated that Ponds would be making his debut this weekend after he was a full participant in practice on Thursday, but now it’s official.
Ponds doesn’t carry an injury designation heading into Week 2.
Head coach Aaron Glenn wouldn’t call Ponds “100%,” but he said no one is, “but he’s ready to go.” The talented rookie has missed a ton of time this offseason due to a calf injury. He hurt his calf at the beginning of training camp.
“Well, just that, that he can go out there and compete at a high-level, and that’s what we want to make sure with any guy that’s out, can you come back and compete at a high-level, because once you get on the field, there’s no excuses. He’s been doing a good job of that. Our trainers have done an outstanding job of getting him ready to go, and he’s been in the meetings so he’s understanding exactly what we’re doing. The thing is, and I’ve always said this, just the time on task of actually out there doing it, that’s what’s somewhat different. We’ll see exactly how this week ends up and see how that goes,” Glenn responded when asked what he had seen from Ponds over the last few weeks.
Ponds Breaks Silence on Return
“It’s been tough. I can’t lie & say it hasn’t. Obviously, me being out a long time, it’s been tough for a guy who loves football. So being away from the game, it was tough for me … But I’m back now, healthy, I feel good and ready to go,” Ponds said via Dennis Waszak Jr of the Associated Press.
“I definitely was itching to get out there. Being in a new locker room, you’ve got to prove yourself to not just the coaches, the players as well, just show them what I can do, show them my ability,” Ponds said via Waszak.
Jets Lose 4 Players Including All-Pro Before Packers Game