Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick missed practice Monday as he rested following surgery on his thumb.
Fitzpatrick underwent the surgery on Friday to repair a torn ligament in his non-throwing hand. The Jets expect to have Fitzpatrick back for Sunday’s game with the Texans, but nothing is guaranteed.
“It will be his pain progression,” coach Todd Bowles said of what will determine whether Fitzpatrick can play. “We’ll see if he can take the snaps under center, see how he feels on Wednesday after the medication wears off and everything. We’ll go from there.”
Fitzpatrick suffered the injury on Nov. 1 in Oakland. The Jets and Fitzpatrick decided to have the surgery on Friday to give him extra recovery time before they faced the Texans.
If Fitzpatrick suffers a setback and can’t play, the Jets would turn to Geno Smith, who has not started a game since last season, but did play against the Raiders.
“I’m fine with [Smith] starting,” Bowles said. “He’s made great progress. He’s learned a lot under Ryan. He threw the ball well in Oakland for the most part, so if he has to play we’ll just keep on moving.”
Bowles did not have an issue with Smith directing a vulgarity at a Post reporter after Thursday’s game.
Bowles said he heard it was no big deal, presumably from a team official, and did not even speak to Smith about it.
“He’s a grown man. He can say what he wants,” Bowles said. “From what I heard, I don’t think it was anything disrespectful, he didn’t fire back at. It was no big deal. It was a passing shot. It was no big deal. I don’t think he’s a bad guy.”
Smith did not speak with reporters Monday.
DT Sheldon Richardson has a sore hamstring and watched practice Monday. Bowles said it was too early to tell if it would put Richardson’s status for Sunday in doubt. He played through the injury in Thursday’s loss to Buffalo.
“He was hurt, but he’s a warrior,” Bowles said. “He’s going to play through some of that stuff. I don’t think it hindered him too much. In the second half I saw a few plays when he was a little gimpy, though.”
In other injury news, safety Calvin Pryor said he expects to play Sunday. He has missed the last three games with a high-ankle sprain. Bowles said he needs to see Pryor practice this week before making a decision. Bowles said CB Antonio Cromartie (bruised quad) is feeling much better this week than last week when he missed the Bills game.
CB Dee Milliner was activated off IR last Wednesday, but saw no action on defense in Thursday’s game. Milliner said he was not surprised since he was only activated the day before. The oft-injured defensive back has a simple goal for the rest of the season.
“Stay healthy,” he said.
WR Quincy Enunwa returned to the team Monday after serving a four-game suspension for a domestic violence incident. The team needs to make a roster move by the end of the week to put him back on the 53-man roster. The move could be placing RB Zac Stacy on season-ending IR. Stacy broke his ankle last week and had surgery Friday.