The New York Jets secondary will be short-handed on Sunday evening against the Philadephia Eagles. The backend of the defense has been decimated, with both top corners unavailable for the team’s Week 6 tilt. All-Pro Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed will be out for the Jets on Sunday. Reed will miss a second straight game, while Gardner will bypass the first game of his NFL career.
Jets now will be without their top two CBs vs. the Eagles, with Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed out due to concussions. https://t.co/3ltFglx7bI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 14, 2023
New York Jets OUT top CBs
Sauce Gardner shined as a rookie last season with the New York Jets. The fourth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft led the league with 20 pass deflections last season while tallying two interceptions and 75 tackles. Gardner earned All-Pro and AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors for his outstanding play. Additionally, Gardner had three pass deflections, a forced fumble, and 20 tackles in 2023.
Meanwhile, D.J. Reed is in year two with the New York Jets. He has no interceptions or pass deflections this season but has totaled 28 tackles. Reed, a fifth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, spent four seasons in the NFC West before joining the Jets. His best season came in 2021 as a 24-year-old, snagging two interceptions and swatting ten passes in 14 games with the Seattle Seahawks.
Next Man Up for New York Jets in Week 6
With D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner out, Bryce Hall, Michael Carter, and Craig James will be tasked with slowing down the Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack. Hall, a fourth-round pick in 2020, has spent the entirety of his career with the Jets. He has just four tackles this season but returned a fumble for a touchdown in his team’s victory last week.
Meanwhile, Carter operates primarily as the nickel corner. He has two pass deflections in 2023. Lastly, James has seen just 2% of the snaps with the Jets this season. He has just 17 tackles and one pass deflection in his four-year career.
