The Jets’ offensive line is seemingly holding on by a thread.
Left guard Alex Lewis did not participate in practice and was listed with a neck injury on the injury report Friday. That comes while Kelechi Osemele is in a dispute with the team regarding whether he needs shoulder surgery, leaving a hefty gap on the left side of the O-line.
There were no immediate updates with specifics on Lewis’ injury.
Center Ryan Kalil, who came out of a brief retirement to sign with the Jets this offseason, apparently hurt his shoulder during practice Thursday and was originally not supposed to practice Friday.
But in an odd turn of events, Kalil participated on a limited basis and hasn’t been ruled out for Monday’s matchup against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium.
“He’s more sore right now,” coach Adam Gase said of Kalil before practice Friday. “We’re just going through the procedure we have to go through with the training staff. Today he can’t go, so we’ll see what tomorrow brings. And see how he feels as the rest of the week goes on.”
The Jets (1-4) will have prepare for New England, who has the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL, with scarce options to protect recently recovered quarterback Sam Darnold. Backup center Jonotthan Harrison likely will start if Kalil is unable to take the field.
“We’re lucky, we’re lucky,” Gase said about having Harrison, who was the starting center for the entire offseason until Kalil was added in August. “Normally at that position, you don’t have a guy that can jump in there and knows it like he knows it.”
Gase said he’s looking forward to the imminent return of linebacker C.J. Mosley, who declared Thursday he would play Monday, after being sidelined for the past four games with a groin injury.
“I love the fact that he’s ready to go,” Gase said before practice, in which Mosley participated in team drills for the first time since his injury. “It’s like getting your quarterback back on defense.”
The 27-year-old linebacker was limited to individual drills Thursday after Gase characterized him as day-to-day. Mosley practiced with the team Friday, though he was limited.
“I think he was a little irritated that we didn’t let him do team drills [Thursday], but that was the plan going in,” Gase said. “He looked good in individuals, he was running around a lot on his on the side. He’s as good of a pro as you can — you watch what he does while the defense is out there and he’s standing and how he’s paying attention, listening to the calls and things like that.
“The guy mentally is ready, it’s just all about conditioning and making sure that he’s good. Making sure the volume that we give him [Friday] and [Saturday] is the right amount, we just got to keep checking boxes.”
Mosley, who left the Ravens this past offseason to sign a five-year deal with the Jets, served as the team’s defensive signal caller for the season-opening loss to the Bills before exiting in the third quarter. Gase considers Mosley’s return to be “a big deal for us.”
LT Kelvin Beachum (ankle), TE Chris Herndon (hamstring), RB Trenton Cannon (foot/ankle), Osemele (shoulder), and LB Albert McClellan (concussion protocol) did not practice Friday. LB Neville Hewitt, Harrison and Mosley were limited. DL Henry Anderson did individual work. CB Darryl Roberts was limited Friday after suffering an ankle issue Thursday.