Injuries robbed Quincy Enunwa of promising career with Jets

Two years ago, Quincy Enunwa was one of the Jets’ most promising players. Now, his time with the team is over because of injuries.

Two years ago, Quincy Enunwa stood in front of reporters at One Jets Drive with a smile spanning ear to ear. The source of his jubilation? A four-year contract extension that established him as a major part of New York’s future.

“I’ve been here for so long, this is what I know and this is what I’ve come to love,” Enunwa said at the time. “I want to continue growing with this team.”

Growth certainly seemed imminent for the former sixth-round draft pick. He burst onto the scene with 58 receptions and nearly 900 receiving yards in 2016. He then fought through a neck injury that cost him the 2017 season and returned for 2018 as one of Sam Darnold’s top targets. Unfortunately, that wound up being the pinnacle of Enunwa’s time in the Big Apple, which came to an unceremonious end on Monday.

Enunwa’s release was unlike most that take place at this time of year. He was not shown the door because he did not have the talent to make an impact for the Jets — quite the opposite, in fact. When healthy, Enunwa’s versatility made him a dangerous weapon in New York’s offense. His ability to line up as an outside receiver, in the slot and even as a tight end or H-Back allowed the Jets to get him involved in a plethora of creative ways.

The “when healthy” caveat is what ultimately caused Enunwa’s release. Nobody could have predicted it at the time, but the neck injury that sidelined him in 2017 was a grim sign of things to come. When Enunwa returned to the field in 2018, a high-ankle sprain crept up mid-season and kept him out of the lineup for five games. In last season’s season-opener against the Bills, the neck pain returned. This time, it was a death blow to Enunwa’s once-promising career with the Jets.

Injuries robbed Enunwa of what should have been a long and productive stint in New York. He had already established himself as one of Darnold’s go-to guys and had the potential to develop into an even better player than he already was before the injury bug bit. Had he stayed healthy, there is no telling what Enunwa could have accomplished before calling it a career.

Now, the time for Enunwa to hang up his cleats might be coming sooner than he ever could have imagined. A spinal stenosis diagnosis — the same condition that prematurely ended the career of New York Mets third baseman David Wright — has Enunwa’s career in the balance. Considering the severity of his condition, retiring at only 28 could be a bitter pill he is forced to swallow. If Enunwa opts to go that route, the good news is that he has already found his post-football calling as a mental health advocate with dreams of becoming a sports-performance therapist. The thought of what could have been will likely always linger in the back of his mind, though.

Enunwa had his entire future with the Jets ahead of him. Instead, injuries ripped away what was primed to be a star-studded career. In the same time it took Enunwa to put pen to paper on his contract extension, his career with the only organization he has ever known came to an end.

Jets WR Quincy Enunwa promoting mental health awareness with help from his wife

Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa is using his platform and a little help from his wife to promote mental health awareness.

Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa is getting a head start on his post-NFL desire to help people with mental health issues.

Enunwa has long been a proponent of mental health awareness. He recently held a live Q&A session about mental health on the official NFL Players Association Twitter account and told ESPN’s Rich Cimini in May that he wants to become a sports-performance therapist once his playing days come to an end.

“Helping guys with their mental health,” Enunwa said. “That’s my goal.”

With a neck injury sidelining him for the entire 2020 season and putting his career in serious jeopardy, Enunwa is making the most of his time away from football. With a little help from his wife, the 28-year-old is doing his part to give back and help those dealing with mental health issues, taking to Instagram to bring awareness to the cause.

“I was once somebody who didn’t think I could be affected by mental illness,” Enunwa said on Thursday. “I always believed my will would push me through any issue. If I was really a ‘Man,’ I could deal with my own problems. I managed to live that way for a while, and then I injured my neck again. Suddenly, just being a man wasn’t enough. I needed something to help me figure out what I was going through.

“Long story short, I found therapy and in it a space to process not only what I was going through, but also my relationships, friendships, and being black in America. Some people may think, “But Q, you just signed a 4-year extension, I would have just wiped my tears with those dollar bills,” and to that, I say you right, but mental illness doesn’t discriminate.”

Enunwa continued his promotion of mental health awareness through face masks his wife has created amid the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that all proceeds from purchases will be donated to multiple organizations that “aim to provide culturally affirming therapy to people of color.”

“My wife created and is selling #BlackFeelingsMatter masks,” Enunwa said. When people are continually looking for ways to give back, she’s found an amazing one. 100% of proceeds will be donated to @therapyforblackgirls and National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network, which aim to provide culturally affirming therapy to people of color.

“As I continue to evolve and use my platform for change, I refuse to allow my community to continue to struggle in the dark. Asking for help isn’t weak and you’re not alone in your struggle. Like @beastmode said, “Take care of your mental.”

Jets WR Quincy Enunwa not ready to throw in towel on career

Although the Jets placed Quincy Enunwa on the PUP list with his second neck injury in three seasons, he isn’t ready to retire just yet.

Quincy Enunwa isn’t ready to throw in the towel on his NFL career just yet.

With his 2020 season over before it started thanks to his injury-plagued neck, Enunwa’s future in the NFL is on life support. Whether he plays again or not is up to doctors at this point.

The Jets ended Enunwa’s 2019 season when they placed him on the Physically Unable to Perform list back on May 5. In December 2018, Enunwa signed a four-year, $36 million contract extension through the 2022 season, but he played just one game on his new deal before suffering a season-ending neck injury in the season opener.

His career in limbo, but Enunwa isn’t ready to give up on football just yet.

“If I’m capable of playing, then that’s what I’ll do,” Enunwa told ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “If it comes down to the fact that the doctors say I can’t, there’s not much I can do. There’s really nothing I can do there, but if I have the ability to [play], the passion will always be there, the want-to will always be there.”

While Enunwa attempts to make an improbable recovery, he believes his physical ability is still there. That’s with the revelation that Enunwa was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, the same debilitating back condition that ultimately ended the career of New York Mets third baseman David Wright. Still, Enunwa showed flashes of brilliance before and after his first neck injury, molding himself as a hybrid wide receiver who was a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive backs. The cards have been stacked against Enunwa since his first neck injury, which he suffered in 2017.

“There’s really no one to blame,” Enunwa said. “It’s one of those things. If I could’ve had a crystal ball and told myself … this was going to happen, I probably would’ve done it the same way. There’s nothing really I regret or I’m upset with anybody about.

“I think everybody tried to handle it the best way that we could. There’s no way to have prevented this other than not play football, and I don’t know if I would’ve been as happy if I made that choice.”

Right now, it doesn’t pay for Enunwa to retire. Despite being placed on the PUP list, he will earn $6 million fully guaranteed for the 2020 season, per Cimini. As part of his contract, Enunwa has an injury guarantee of $4.1 million in 2021.

Quincy Enunwa reveals he has spinal stenosis, hopes to return to Jets

Jets WR Quincy Enunwa announced to reporters on Monday afternoon that he has been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and does not need surgery.

Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, who missed the majority of the 2019 season with a neck injury, provided an injury update when he spoke to reporters during end-of-season interviews.

Enunwa has been diagnosed with spinal stenosis. He will not need to undergo surgery, but it remains to be seen what the receiver’s future in football looks like.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine, according to MayoClinic.org. It’s the same condition that ultimately ended the career of New York Mets third baseman David Wright.

“Some days the pain could be moderate and manageable. Some days it was too much to be thinking about baseball,” Wright said when he announced his retirement in 2018. It’s debilitating to play baseball.”

Enunwa, however, is hoping this condition won’t end his football career just yet.

“Hopefully I can stay and play well and put up numbers that I want to put (up) for this team, it would be a beautiful thing for me. … but right now it’s just about coming back healthy and handling the situation in a proper way,” Enunwa said.

He added that, “It’s unfortunate what’s going on, there’s not much I can really do about it, though. It’s one of those things where I was kind of like born this way I guess, that’s what I found out. … It’s not really one of those things that I can control too much.”

Enunwa’s entire Jets career has been marred with injuries. Despite that, he is still optimistic that he will be able to return next season. He’s looking at this as just another roadblock that he will need to hurdle.