Sportsnaut
There was plenty of good news on the injury front Tuesday when the New York Jets began preparing for their Week 1 showdown against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Most importantly, Sauce Gardner practiced. Not that the Jets outwardly appeared concerned, but their star corner was slowed throughout training camp by a calf injury. Seeing him practice in full pads, knowing he’ll be out there against Rodgers on Sunday, must’ve been comforting for Aaron Glenn, who coaches his first regular-season game with the Jets on Sunday.
With Gardner set to play, the Jets should be fully healthy on defense this week. Stud lineman Quinnen Williams returned to full practice a couple weeks ago after sustaining a calf injury early in camp. And edge rusher Jermain Johnson’s return from a week 2 Achilles tear last season is going well. Recently-acquired defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is set for his Jets debut on Sunday, as well.
They’ll need all hands on deck against Rodgers, the future Hall of Famer who was the center of the Jets universe the past two seasons. It’s a tasty Week 1 matchup considering Glenn moved on from Rodgers in one of his first major decisions after he became Jets coach.
Glenn didn’t answer questions about that decision when speaking to the media Tuesday. But he did acknowledge that the 41-year-old quarterback can “cause problems no matter what” because of his smarts and experience.
Certainly having Gardner, a two-time All-Pro, lined up on the corner gives the Jets a better chance to limit any damage on Sunday.
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Perhaps as importantly, Tyrod Taylor was back at practice Tuesday. Though not a starter, Taylor is the veteran No. 2 quarterback behind starter Justin Fields. The Jets were without this important security blanket for the entire preseason and much of camp after Taylor has his knee scoped.
There were concerns that the Jets might be forced to elevate rookie Brady Cook from the practice squad if the 36-year-old wasn’t good to go Sunday. The Jets also worked out some veteran quarterbacks, including C.J. Beathard and Nathan Peterman, a couple weeks ago, just in case.
Taylor hadn’t been seen at practice since the procedure on his knee. So, that was a big deal Tuesday. Even if the Jets hope not to see Taylor on the field during a regular-season game anytime soon.
Starting left guard John Simpson practiced in full pads, as well, on Tuesday. Simpson’s been dealing with a back issue throughout training camp and appeared in one preseason game. With him out there, the Jets starting offense was intact, preparing for T.J. Watt and company this weekend.
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