The New York Jets' bout with the injury bug continues. Leading into their Week 3 matchup with the Patriots on Sunday, the team downgraded starting left tackle Duane Brown to out. Shortly after that announcement was made, the injury news surrounding Brown grew even more dire as the team elected to place him on injured reserve. The veteran will be sidelined a minimum of four games.
On top of this Week 3 contest against New England, Brown will also miss the Jets' home matchup with the Chiefs in Week 4, a trip to Denver to face the Broncos in Week 5 and then back home to host the Eagles in Week 6. Because New York has a Week 7 bye, the earliest Brown will be able to get back onto the field in a game setting would be Week 8 when they take on the Giants.
Brown, 38, started both games at left tackle for the Jets so far this season. He was recovering from shoulder surgery coming into the year and did not practice this week with what the team listed as shoulder and hip injuries. The veteran's status is a bit curious because head coach Robert Saleh did say on Friday that he felt good about Brown's availability for Sunday's game despite the lack of practice. It remains unclear if Saleh was simply not being truthful about Brown's status or if there was some sort of setback the tackle faced over the past few days.
This is a rough situation for a Jets offensive line that will be tasked with protecting Zach Wilson going forward following Aaron Rodgers suffering a season-ending Achilles tear in the opener. Historically, Wilson has not fared well when facing pressure. Dating back to last season, Wilson has completed just 33 of his 104 pass attempts under pressure with 445 total passing yards, a 4.3 yards per attempt average, and has one touchdown with seven interceptions.
In Brown's absence, Billy Turner and Max Mitchell are candidates to replace him on the left side with Mekhi Becton working as the club's right tackle. In a corresponding move with putting Brown on IR, the Jets elevated fellow offensive lineman Chris Glaser from the practice squad.
