Jets coach Aaron Glenn has been coy all week about Garrett Wilson‘s availability for Sunday’s game.
But it is unlikely the fourth-year receiver will play against the Panthers.
Wilson will be listed as doubtful to play against Carolina, according to Glenn. He has not practiced all week due to a knee injury he suffered during last weekend’s loss to the Broncos in London. His injury apparently occurred during the next-to-last offensive play for the Jets, during which Justin Fields threw an incomplete pass to Wilson and the star WR was hit awkwardly.
Wilson had an MRI on Monday after the team returned to New Jersey and the injury isn’t expected to be long-term. After hosting the Panthers, the Jets (0-6) visit the Bengals in Week 8 and then have a bye the following week. The Jets’ next game following their bye will be against the Browns on Nov. 9.
The loss of Wilson will be problematic for a Jets offense that’s had trouble generating yards against any team this season. They are 29th in yards (279.8) and 25th in points per game (20.5).
Gang Green is coming off a game in which it accumulated minus-10 passing yards against Denver, which was a franchise low. Fields completed 9-of-17 passes for 45 yards and was sacked nine times.
Throughout his five starts this season (missed Week 3 due to a concussion), Fields has been criticized for holding onto the ball too long inside the pocket. He currently has the longest average time to throw in the NFL this season (3.01 seconds), according to Next Gen Stats.
Glenn compared Fields to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Not only are Jackson’s (2.87) and Allen’s (2.91) average times to throw lower than Fields, though, but the two have three NFL MVP Awards between them.
“I know that’s a huge topic that everyone talks about, but there’s a lot that goes into that,” Glenn said. “When you look at the time he gets the ball out, some of those have been his best games, when he’s holding the ball three seconds or whatnot. That’s who he is. Sometimes it’s play calls, the way he sees things. I’m not sitting here saying he doesn’t need to get the ball out — there’s some quick game where the ball needs to come out.
“You look at Lamar [Jackson], his numbers getting the ball out are higher than Justin’s. Josh Allen’s numbers are higher than Justin’s. I think everybody tends to see who those guys are and understand that. For some reason, they don’t understand Justin.”
Wilson is the Jets’ top receiving threat. He leads the team with 36 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns. The next-closest wide receiver is Josh Reynolds, who has eight catches for 72 yards. Reynolds has been dealing with a hip injury, but is expected to play against the Panthers.
If he does not play against Carolina, it would be Wilson’s first missed game in his four seasons with the Jets. He has played in 57 consecutive games for the Jets.
Reynolds, Arian Smith, Allen Lazard and Tyler Johnson are the other wideouts on the Jets’ roster. They could also elevate Jamaal Pritchett, Brandon Smith, Trenton Irwin, Quentin Skinner or Isaiah Williams from the practice squad.
“To me, it’s next man up,” Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said about Wilson possibly being out. “And again, they are all professional football players and they’re all here for a reason and we’ve got the utmost confidence in any of the guys that need to step up if those two players are not available to go on ahead and get the job done.”
