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Florham Park, New York Jets confusion George Fant He was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, the third offensive lineman to land on IR since training camp.
The injury could not have come at a worse time for the Jets quarterback hopefuls Zach Wilson He will return to the lineup on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Wilson starts, the blind man will be guarded by a third-string lefty, perhaps Connor McDermottCareer backup.
Fant’s surgically repaired left knee has been bothering him since training camp — the procedure took place during the offseason — and finally forced him to the sidelines in last Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He won’t miss at least four games.
The Jets weathered a rotten opportunity to fight.
In August, the right touch Miki Becton. He was demoted to practice due to a knee injury that required surgery. They responded by signing the former Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown Two-year, $20 million deal, moving Fant to right tackle. Brown was out for seven practices and a preseason game before a serious shoulder injury forced him to go on IR.
Brown, 37, is eligible to return next week, though there is no confirmation he will be ready to play. For now, it looks like McDermott is a starter Max Mitchell (Three starts) Turn left and right, respectively.
On Tuesday, the Jets added reinforcements by signing a former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick. Cedric Ogbuhi From the Houston Texans practice squad. He was added to the Jets’ 53-man roster, meaning he could be their top backup on Sunday. Ogbuehi has 30 career starts, but just five over the last four seasons. It was released by three different groups.
They also signed a veteran tackle Mike Remmers to the practice group. He has 90 starts, including the last two seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was not with a team during the preseason.
That may not bode well for Wilson, who has missed three games while recovering from arthritic knee surgery. Coach Robert Saleh said he expects Wilson to be cleared by doctors for Sunday’s game pending a final evaluation.
If Wilson doesn’t clean up, the jet starts Joe Flacco For the fourth straight week. He is fifth in passing yards (901), but has led the offense to just five touchdowns and has been sacked nine times. His lack of mobility, combined with offensive line issues, is not an ideal formula for the Jets (1-2).
“You’re down to your fourth and fifth men,” Saleh said of the tackle situation. “This season, you don’t expect that. . . . At the end of the day, nobody cares. You’ve got to line up, you’ve got to play football, you’ve got to protect the quarterback.
“[Offensive coordinator Mike] LaFleur has to find ways to protect the quarterback, not unlike what we did against Cleveland. [in Week 2]. I have faith in the boys that we understand.
In the year Fant, who signed with the Jets as a free agent in 2020, has been one of the most consistent linebackers starting at both tackle positions over the past three seasons. In the final year of his contract, Fant is eligible to return in Week 8.
