The New York Jets have announced the five team captains for the 2020 season while several players return from injury.
FLORHAM PARK, NJ—Just four days separate the New York Jets from their Week 1 date in Orchard Park. Considering all that’s transpired in this world since March, amazing might be a good way to describe the current feel.
The Jets workweek for the Buffalo Bills has officially begun and Wednesday brought tremendous news in a couple of forms.
Team Captains Announced
Adam Gase revealed the Jets five team captains Wednesday morning before practice.
George Fant, 28, is, of course, the shocker here. Coming over from Seattle, Fant, an offensive lineman, has been rewarded in spite of the fact he’s never played a snap for the organization.
“When you watch him operate, day in and day out, the way he practices, guys gravitate towards him,” Gase told reporters Wednesday morning. “He’s a vocal guy in that offensive line room. There’s something about George that’s impressive.”
Professionalism was another factor in Fant’s captaincy.
“The way he handles his business day in and day out, very professional,” Gase added.
The Sam Darnold, Steve McLendon and Marcus Maye choices are obvious, and while the Fant selection is interesting, the Matthias Farley one needs to be explained.
Farley, 28, has been named captain despite finding himself cut from the team Saturday. Personally, I thought it was a surprising move considering Farley’s special teams usage. Brant Boyer seemingly loved him all summer, using him as the personal punt protector.
Now that he’s officially back with the team, he’s been named the lone special teams captain.
Returning Receivers
Both Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims returned to practice in-full Wednesday, which means young Sam Darnold has his top outside threats healthy.
“It was great, just to throw some routes to them, have them in the huddle, it was awesome,” Darnold said about the two returning receivers. “To get those guys out there, and to have them get into a little bit of a rhythm, it was good.”
Perriman’s knee has kept him out of action for a week-plus while Mims’s hamstring kept him from hitting the field at all this summer. And speaking of the rookie, the Jets quarterback provided us a glimpse into what you can expect in 2020.
“He’s explosive,” Darnold said. “(He’s) quick in and out of his breaks; that’s the biggest thing. And he’s a big target. I mean, those are all the things you want in a receiver.”
Injury Report
La’Mical Perine’s ankle injury did not turn out to be as serious as the team initially thought. Gase even spoke about how fortunate the Jets feel, considering it turned out to be a lower-ankle sprain as opposed to the nagging high variety.
Wednesday, Perine did not practice. He was in full pads running in straight lines on the sideline prior to the official start of practice but did not participate. His status for Week 1 is definitely up for grabs at the moment.
Marcus Maye, Alex Lewis, Tarell Basham, Avery Williamson and Joe Flacco did participate but were all limited.
The Jets’ Week 1 matchup in Buffalo is slated for this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
