The New York Jets have gotten more bad news about their expected starting left tackle, Duane Brown.
The team had appeared to solve their tackle issues following the loss of Mekhi Becton. Turns out, those problems have only persisted days before week one’s kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Jets’ newly acquired left tackle Duane Brown will be ruled out of Sunday’s contest due to a shoulder injury head coach Robert Saleh announced this morning.
“From the information we’ve gathered, he’s going to be out this week. We’re still gathering information, but we should get some more on what will happen next week and the following weeks after.” Saleh said to reporters.
Brown signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Jets during the preseason following Becton’s knee surgery. Brown is the latest starter to miss Sunday’s contest against the Baltimore Ravens with quarterback Zach Wilson having been ruled out earlier in the week.
While reports have not specified the length of the injury, Brown had been away from the Jets the last couple of days as he looked for evaluation on his shoulder.
The injury could also reportedly land him on the injured reserve, but the Jets have not specified on the exact injury.
In Brown’s place, George Fant is expected to move back to left tackle while fourth-round rookie, Max Mitchell will start on the right side. Mitchell was a third-team All-American out of Louisiana last season. While he let up multiple pressures throughout the Jets’ preseason contests, Mitchell was graded at an elite 94.8 overall grade while playing in college.
Now the rookie will have to go up against the pass-rushing dynamo of Justin Houston and Odafe Oweh.
Brown’s injury leaves a major hole on the Jets roster. At 37 years old, Brown was not the same Pro-bowl player he was back in Houston and Seattle, but he was expected to be an excellent second option at tackle for a Jets line that had taken great strides in Robert Saleh’s first season in New York.
The New York Jets open up their 2022-23 season against the Ravens on Sunday at MetLife Stadium with Joe Flacco expected to start at quarterback for New York.
