Pro Football Rumors
The Jets are placing star wide receiver Garrett Wilson on injured reserve, per a team announcement.
Wilson was diagnosed with a knee sprain after exiting Sunday’s victory over the Browns with a projected return timeline of three to four weeks. The Jets have elected to free up a roster spot by placing him on injured reserve, which will sideline him for the team’s next four games.
That will deprive Justin Fields of his best wideout for another handful of games. Unsurprisingly, the fifth-year quarterback has been significantly better when Wilson has been on the field. The Jets have gotten precious little out of their other pass-catchers this year; rookie tight end Mason Taylor leads the pack at 27.3 receiving yards per game, and none of his healthy teammate are over 25.0 YPG.
Wilson already missed a few weeks with an injury to the same knee, which has multiple implications.
First, it shows that the Jets cannot necessarily rely on one of their other receivers to step up. They had the opportunity during Wilson’s first absence and could not deliver.
Second, it may encourage the team to take a more cautious approach with Wilson’s return. He could come back in Week 14 at the earliest with four games remaining in the season. The Jets are already all-but-mathematically eliminated from the playoffs right now, and by the time Wilson is eligible to play, they will likely be mathematically eliminated, too. They may want to keep Wilson on the shelf for the rest of the season to ensure he does not suffer another, more severe injury that could impact 2026.
