The New York Jets’ preseason finale against the New York Giants took a hit in the first half when two players left with injuries: sixth-round rookie guard Anez Cooper and edge rusher Joseph Ossai.
Cooper was hurt on the play and was seen wincing as he grabbed his shoulder before heading straight to the locker room. The Jets have already ruled him out.
Ossai came off the field with a foot injury and is still questionable to return, according to the team.
For Cooper, the injury lands after a preseason that had already shown both sides of his game. He opened with a standout debut and graded out as one of the top guards in the league, but he followed that up with a rougher showing in last week’s Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After getting moved up to the second unit from the Jets’ third-team offensive line in Week 1, he gave up three pressures and a sack over 22 snaps.
Ossai’s night was his preseason debut after he started training camp on the Jets’ PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. Before exiting, he logged 11 snaps and finished with two tackles and a quarterback pressure.
The injuries are especially tough for New York because offensive line depth has already been a concern, and Cooper had become one of the more interesting backup options on the roster after that strong first preseason outing. Ossai is also expected to be a major piece for the Jets at defensive end, especially when it comes to stopping the run.
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