New York Jets Injuries

Yet again, the New York Jets injuries are something of a factor. It may be a new season (2022), but the likes of Zach Wilson, Mekhi Becton, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Breece Hall and others have found themselves injured and on the shelf this year.

Mike White cannot go against the Lions

This is just yet another example of why New York Jets fans often say that “they simply cannot have nice things.” For the second-straight season, Mike White is out of the lineup after playing so well in relief of Zach Wilson.

After starting the week positively, head coach Robert Saleh announced that Wilson would indeed start the Jets’ Week 15 game against the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium. White simply could not get a doctor to medically clear him for contact (ribs).

Additionally, Quinnen Williams is dealing with a calf injury he sustained in Buffalo against the Bills, and he is questionable heading into the Detroit contest.

Alijah Vera-Tucker and Breece Hall hit the shelf

The worst of it, without a doubt, was when Alijah Vera-Tucker and Breece Hall went down for the year (in Denver). In spite of the injuries, however, and with Mike White now leading the charge, Robert Saleh’s Jets are still in a prime position to make a run in the AFC this season.

The Wilson preseason injury was especially disappointing, considering he hurt his knee in a non-contact fashion. Then again, the luck of most Jets fans had the kid immediately penciled out for the entire season.

Either way, the Wilson injury worries now seem like a thing of the past, with the No. 2 overall pick benched.

New York Jets injuries seem fictional at this point as the organization simply cannot seem to get out of their own way in this nagging department.

Under Adam Gase, it seemed no New York Jets player could stay healthy. Mekhi Becton missed entire games while also having to leave games early, and Sam Darnold never played a full season.

The Jets quarterback even contracted mono. It’s the stuff that simply cannot be made up.

Joe Douglas knew he had to do something entering the 2021 NFL season. One major change of note coincides with Dr. Brad Deweese’s hiring. The Jets hired Deweese to head their new Athletic Care and Performance Department, with an eye on preventing future injuries.

Although it sounded exciting in the offseason, the early returns have been unimaginable.

Carl Lawson and Vinny Curry went down for the season in August (during a trip to Green Bay), others such as Ashtyn Davis and Cameron Clark can’t seem to get back on the field, Mekhi Becton experienced an unlucky roll-up in Carolina (Week 1), and Marcus Maye will miss about a month with an ankle injury.

Sure, many of these injuries have very little to do with Deweese and the organization’s actual injury-prevention performance—i.e. Curry’s preexisting concerns and Becton’s unlucky situation—but the early part of the 2021 season hasn’t been kind to the franchise.

It’s a familiar story the New York Jets and their fans have had to endure for quite some time. Hopefully, the newly established culture and the organizational process starts making headway on the injury front.

It’s amazing to think the New York Jets are rolling in 2022 with the number of injured reserve players at impactful positions that are currently present.

Not only have they lost both Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker for the season—their two young stud linemen—but rookie sensation Breece Hall also went down for the season with a knee injury.