The New York Jets are heading into a huge game in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos. Both teams are 1-3, as New York enters the game on a three-game losing streak. Denver won last week in miraculous fashion, coming back from down 21 on the road against the Chicago Bears to get their first win of the season.
The Jets need all hands on deck in what is essentially a must-win game. New York cannot afford to drop to 1-4 with a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on deck before they head into their bye week.
But, their chances of winning on Sunday afternoon took a major hit. Per Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets have ruled out starting cornerback D.J. Reed for their game against the Broncos because of a concussion.
“D.J. is a special football player and he alleviates some of the pressure of trying to be perfect with regards to matchup because you feel comfortable about all your matchups when those two are on the field at the same time, him and Sauce,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “Any time you don’t have a player of his caliber out there, you’re kind of put behind the eight ball, but we’ll be fine.”
Losing Reed is a tough blow for the Jets as they are already down slot cornerback Brandin Echols is also sidelined because of a hamstring injury. New York is going to have to dip deep into their depth chart to fill out their secondary.
Bryce Hall, a 2020 fifth-round draft pick, could see the field as a starter on Sunday. He started 24 games in his first two seasons in the NFL but has been seldom used the last two seasons. This season, he has appeared in only two games.
While head coach Robert Saleh hasn’t shared what the lineup will be, to try and keep some competitive advantage, Sauce Gardner will likely be joined by Hall and Michael Carter II. Carter has exclusively played out of the slot, but Saleh didn’t close the book on using him to help replace Reed on the perimeter.
It would not be surprising if the Jets made a call-up from their practice squad for the game. The only other cornerback on the roster right now is Justin Hardee, who is exclusively a special teams contributor.
