The work week ahead of the season opener is here. While the Pittsburgh Steelers will be without one key starter in rookie defensive end Derrick Harmon, and might be down another in outside linebacker Nick Herbig, the New York Jets appeared relatively healthy entering the matchup Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Until Wednesday morning.
First-year head coach Aaron Glenn said Tuesday that most of the players will be practicing this week, in some way, which opens the door for the likes of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor and veteran offensive lineman John Simpson to be ready to go for the season opener.
But on Wednesday, starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker went down with a serious arm injury and is expected to miss significant time, throwing a major wrench in the preparation for the Steelers.
The Jets didn’t practice Wednesday, having conducted a practice Tuesday, therefore the Wednesday injury report is an estimated one. But Vera-Tucker’s news broke Wednesday morning, leaving the Jets shorthanded along the offensive line.
NFL Insider Adam Caplan posted the Jets’ estimated injury report on X.
JETS’ WEEK 1 WEDNESDAY INJURY REPORT
DNP
OT Chukwuma Okorafor (hand)
OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (triceps
LIMITED
CB Sauce Gardner (fibula)
QB Tyrod Taylor (knee)
FULL
Sauce Gardner was previously dealing with a calf injury this summer, raising some concerns. But fresh off of a contract extension becoming one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in football, Gardner deemed himself ready to go in the opener against his former teammate in Aaron Rodgers. So, the limited participation listening on the injury report could just be cautious.
Taylor went down with a knee injury during training camp and had a procedure done on August 12, leading to him being on the shelf for the rest of the preseason. He was expected to be the experienced backup quarterback to Justin Fields, who signed with the Jets in free agency, leaving the Steelers in the process.
The Jets carried just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster in Fields and Taylor, so if Taylor can’t go Sunday, rookie undrafted free agent Brady Cook out of Missouri would need to be elevated off the practice squad to serve as the backup.
The loss of Vera-Tucker for Sunday is a massive blow to the Jets against the Steelers. Center Joe Tippman is sliding over to right guard, and Josh Myers will start at center, throwing the interior of the Jets’ offensive line into flux ahead of a matchup with arguably the best defensive front in the NFL.
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