The New York Jets lost two offensive linemen to IR against the Giants, per Robert Saleh
As expected, the New York Jets have lost two of their offensive linemen for a while.
Robert Saleh stated that both center Connor McGovern and guard/center Wes Schweitzer are going on injured reserve. McGovern is dealing with a knee, though Saleh did not confirm that it is a dislocated kneecap, which Ian Rapoport previously reported. Schweitzer has a calf injury.
About McGovern, Saleh said that he has avoided surgery as of now, but it’s still not out of the realm of possibility. The team’s plan is to try to rehab and strengthen the knee in the hopes that McGovern can return later in the season. Saleh also said that Schweitzer has a chance to return later.
This leaves the Jets in a real crunch along the interior offensive line. With Joe Tippmann still recovering from a quad injury, Laken Tomlinson and Billy Turner are the Jets’ only healthy options. Turner is their backup tackle, which further limits their line depth. Saleh was noncommittal about Tippmann’s availability for next week’s game against the Chargers.
Saleh also said the team is still deciding whether to open Duane Brown’s practice window to come off injured reserve and whether Xavier Newman will start at center. (He added that the Jets had Newman active against the Giants because he was the only other interior lineman who could snap the football.)
In Saleh’s words, though, “No one’s trading offensive linemen.” It appears that rather than trying to acquire a lineman before tomorrow’s trade deadline, the Jets will try to bring in the slim pickings from players who are still available as free agents.
Even as the Jets’ injuries go, this offensive line has become nothing short of a nightmare. This may even be worse than the 2022 season due to McGovern’s injury; the Jets center had not missed more than 2% of his team’s snaps since 2018, including playing 100% of the snaps a year ago.
In other news, Al Woods’ torn Achilles was confirmed.
It remains to be seen what the Jets will do to avoid repeating the offensive disaster against the Giants. They may be caught between a rock and a hard place, which seems to be the Jets’ default position over the years.
