Jeremy Kerley Injury: NY Jets officially rule WR out
New York Jets wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (11) runs with the ball during the first half of their game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets wide receiver Jeremy Kerley suffered a severe dislocation of his elbow a couple of weeks ago, and there was some optimism on Friday that Kerley would be able to beat the odds and play in tomorrow’s big game against the Baltimore Ravens. Kerley seemed determined to get on the field, and he was finally able to catch passes with both hands. Although Kerley practiced every day this week, he had to wear a red, non-contact jersey in each day of practice.
Kerley made progress on his injury overall, but he didn’t make nearly enough progress in order to play this week. Any optimism quickly dissipated when the Jets listed Kerley as doubtful on the official injury report yesterday, and head coach Rex Ryan took things a step further by calling Kerley and linebacker Garrett McIntyre “very doubtful” to play against the Ravens. Now, the New York Post’s Brian Costello reports that the Jets have officially downgraded Kerley and McIntyre to “out”.
Again, there was never a realistic chance for Kerley to play in tomorrow’s game, even if there were glimmers of optimism that Kerley had made enough progress to play. The Jets will have to soldier on another week without their most consistent receiver, and they will hope that guys like David Nelson, Santonio Holmes, and Greg Salas can do well. More importantly, Geno Smith will have to step up his play. The Ravens defense isn’t what they used to be, but they can still have a huge game against the Jets. I mean, Smith has struggled mightily under pressure this season, will be without Kerley again, and is going up against a pass rush that features elite OLBs Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs. Both of these teams are squarely in the running for the final playoff spot in the AFC, so expect this to be a tight game (and an important one, too).