New York Jets place Bless Austin on IR, activate Frankie Luvu from IR

The New York Jets have placed Bless Austin on IR and activated Frankie Luvu from IR ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers game.

The original idea heading into Sunday’s Week 11 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers was that the New York Jets will be inexperienced at the cornerback position. Without Pierre Desir (released) and Brian Poole (injured reserve), youngsters such as Bryce Hall would see a ton of time.

Forget about the original idea. Now, to describe the team’s cornerback situation as “inexperienced” doesn’t suffice.

In a surprising move, the Jets have placed cornerback Bless Austin on injured reserve, per Ethan Greenberg of the team’s official website.

Austin, 24, has been dealing with a neck injury. He missed practice on Thursday before returning on a limited basis Friday. It seemed all was well with his status for Sunday. That was, of course, until the news broke Saturday that he had been placed on IR.

Head coach Adam Gase discussed Austin’s situation Thursday as a wait-and-see issue.

“Bless Austin will miss practice today with a neck,” Gase told the media on Thursday’s regularly-scheduled Zoom meeting. “We’ll kind of see what’s going on there, he’s going to get an MRI and things like that today and try to figure out what’s going on.”

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams discussed Austin’s development—seemingly under the impression he’d be available against the Bolts—during his Friday Zoom call with the media.

“He’s grown, not only here at this level, but even back at the college level,” Williams said of his second-year corner. “The injuries he had to overcome with the minimal amount of reps he had before he ever got in here, he has grown each and every day. And likewise, what I said a while ago, not only is he getting a feeling of understanding or belonging in our league, (but) his teammates are (also) respecting what they see in his work ethic, respecting in what they see in his toughness, and that’s been good.”

To see a player miss practice and come back the next day on a limited basis on what was believed to be a minor muscle strain, only to hit injured reserve, is a peculiar move over the span of just a couple of days. Austin will now miss a minimum of the next three games.

Expect Bryce Hall and Lamar Jackson to start on the outside with Arthur Maulet in the slot.

Additionally, the Jets activated outside linebacker Frankie Luvu from IR.