(Photo: US Presswire)
By Ryan Alfieri, Editor
As the Jets get ready for their preseason matchup against the Panthers on Sunday, here are the latest injury news and notes out of Florham Park:
DeVito Out: Mike DeVito is out indefinitely with a calf injury. He will miss at least the next two preseason games, and his status for the opener against the Bills is certainly in doubt. Because of the nature of the position and how a defensive lineman’s stance puts a lot of strain on the calf, this injury could have lingering effects.
This is a devastating blow to the Jets’ D, especially when you consider how well he played in the previous preseason game. He is known as a run stuffer, but he has looked slimmer and quicker this season in an effort to improve his pass-rush.
Luckily, the Jets do have considerable depth at defensive end after the Coples pick, but this is a much bigger loss than it is being made out to be.
Holmes Kerley return: While the Jets lost a big part of their defensive line, they get a huge boost to their receiving corps as Jeremy Kerley and Santonio Holmes will return for the game against Carolina.
While Holmes will be able to walk right back into his starting role, Kerley will have to earn it back. Rookie Jordan White has been one of the most productive receivers of camp and could take a legitimate run at Kerley’s job in the slot.
Sanchez/Tebow’s last chance: Because this is the third preseason game, the first teams will play into the third quarter, with the backups finishing the game. This game should be the closest resemblance to a regular-season game as possible.
However, it does also mean that they will sit the fourth preseason game, as the coaches want to avoid an injury right before the season as well as get a look at their bubble players right before they have to make cuts. As a result, neither Tebow nor Sanchez will play.
That means that this is the last chance for the first-team offense to finally get something going. Preseason results are meaningless, but it would be devastating to a team’s psyche if they do not score at least one touchdown headed into the regular season.
Tags: new york jets, Santonio Holmes
