The Jets’ first injury report of the season brought a little of everything ahead of their Week 1 matchup with the Tennessee Titans: a pair of projected starters on the uncertain side, and a couple of important offensive pieces trending the right way.
Six players showed up on Wednesday’s report, though the team did not actually practice, so the designations were estimates. Edge rusher Joseph Ossai (foot) and wide receiver Tim Patrick (groin) were listed as “DNP” (did not practice), cornerback D’Angelo Ponds (calf) was limited, and running back Isaiah Davis (knee), running back Breece Hall (groin), and tight end Kenyon Sadiq (groin) were all full participants.
For Jets fans, the biggest concern is Ossai. He’s projected to start, but his Week 1 availability now looks shaky after he was held out of Wednesday’s hypothetical session.
Ossai opened training camp on the PUP list, came back for the preseason finale, and then ruptured the plantar fascia in his foot. Aaron Glenn has already called him “week-to-week,” which doesn’t exactly scream clean bill of health heading into Sunday.
Ponds is in a different spot, but still not fully out of the woods. The rookie cornerback has been dealing with the calf issue since the first practice of training camp, and Glenn has said he expects him to be ready for Week 1. Even so, the Jets are clearly handling that recovery carefully.
The good news is that Hall and Sadiq both look set to be available. Hall’s groin issue surfaced during training camp and initially was expected to keep him out for 2-3 weeks, but Glenn said he would be ready for the regular season.
Wednesday’s full designation backs that up. Sadiq’s road was a little more complicated: he had hernia surgery in May, got back for camp, then suffered a setback that kept him out for the rest of camp and the entire preseason.
Glenn said he, like Ponds and Hall, would be ready for the opener, and the full tag points in that direction.
Patrick’s absence from practice is worth noting, but he’s listed as a reserve receiver, so the real focus remains on the health of the projected starters. The Jets appear to be getting mostly healthy at the right time, even if Ossai’s status remains the one issue hanging over the week.
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Jets Suddenly Face A Week 1 Question At Slot Corner
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The bigger question now is how much the Jets will actually be able to lean on him right away. Ponds is still likely headed for a limited snap count, which leaves a little uncertainty around a spot the team had penciled him into this season, even if his return should be a welcome sign after a summer spent on the sideline. For a defense counting on young talent to settle in quickly, his early workload will be worth watching. [Read more 🡒]