The Jets could be shorthanded defensively during Sunday’s game against the Bills.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner is listed as questionable after suffering a hamstring injury during the third quarter of the Jets’ Week 16 loss to the Rams. He was limited during Friday’s practice.
“If there’s anybody that would play with an injury and push it, it’s him,” Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said.
If Gardner is out, it would be the 24-year-old’s second missed game in four weeks. He also didn’t play in the Week 14 loss at Miami.
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is also questionable to play against Buffalo. He missed practice all of last week leading up to his absence during last weekend’s game against Los Angeles.
The Jets have potentially good news injury-wise. Wide receiver Davante Adams (hip), who didn’t practice on Thursday, worked on a limited basis on Friday. He is listed as questionable but told reporters he is “optimistic.”
Adams suffered the injury early during the Rams game.
“We are still working through it,” Adams said. “Treatment, trying to get right and hopefully be there ready by game time.”
JETS RETURNING TO FAMILIAR FACE
After playing musical chairs since Week 8, the Jets are returning to their original kicker.
Greg Zuerlein will kick against the Bills, according to Ulbrich. Following his early-season struggles and a knee injury, the Jets placed Zuerlein on injured reserve on Oct. 30, a day before their victory against the Texans.
“The injury was something that just popped up,” Ulbrich said. “I don’t think it was lingering unless he was keeping that to himself, which I don’t think he would and he had no reason to.
“He has had his struggles and we all have from coaching to playing and across the board this year on this team, it has been the case where we have the talent, but we underperformed. It’s not good enough and I know he would say his performance wasn’t good enough and it wasn’t to his standard by any means.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to come back the last two games and kick to his standard.”
Since then, the Jets have used a merry-go-round of kickers, including Riley Patterson, Spencer Shrader, and Anders Carlson. Gang Green also signed veteran Greg Joseph to their practice squad on Tuesday and opened Zuerlein’s 21-day practice window Thursday.
Zuerlein was one of the league’s most reliable kickers during his first two seasons with the Jets. He missed 10 field goals combined during that span, including just three during the 2023 season. That’s why the team rewarded him with a two-year, $8.4 million contract, including $4.2 million in guarantees, last March.
But Zuerlein struggled dating back to training camp last summer. He converted just 9-of-15 field goals. Zuerlein missed a potential game-winner from 50 yards during the final seconds of a one-point loss to the Broncos in Week 4. He also missed a 32-yard and a 43-yard kick in the Week 6 23-20 loss to the Bills.
“Sometimes, that can be powerful,” Ulbrich said about Zuerlein taking a mental break. “An opportunity just to take a deep breath, get his body healthy again and get a restart.
“I’m excited for him to do his thing these last two games and really demonstrate to everybody who he is as a kicker.”