The New York Jets have replaced longtime trainer John Mellody after an injury-plagued 2019 season featuring 21 players on injured reserve.
The New York Jets made an interesting move on Tuesday, one that makes sense when looking at the sheer numbers.
According to a source cited by Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets have replaced longtime trainer John Mellody, who declined to comment when a reporter reached him.
“I’m not going to comment,” Mellody said Tuesday before hanging up the phone.
Mellody, 51, became the head trainer in 2006 after a decade of assistant work. He hopped aboard the organization in 1996. Obviously, the 2019 season was a disaster in Mellody’s department.
An absurd 21 Jets hit injured reserve over the course of the season. C.J. Mosley, Avery Williamson, Chris Herndon and the oft-injured Quincy Enunwa were just four of those IR-bound players.
Assistant trainer Dave Zuffelato has been elevated to the top spot.
Head coach Adam Gase is no stranger to injuries. Remember, this is a head coach who only had his starting quarterback (Ryan Tannehill) for 24 games of a possible 49 (48 regular season, one playoff) over three seasons in Miami. When pressed on the topic towards the end of the season, Gase said the organization would “study” the issue at hand.
Whether or not there was one driving force behind the move to remove Mellody remains a question. By all accounts, Mellody was a respected Jets employee for 24 years.
According to Cimini, the Jets hired Robert Daplyn (formerly of West Point) as the new assistant trainer. Mellody will remain with the organization as a consultant.
