C.J. Mosley popped up on the Jets’ post-practice injury report on Wednesday after not practicing due to a hamstring injury suffered against the Falcons before the bye week.
New York’s veteran linebacker has been uberly productive in his return to the field this season, but he is now in danger of missing the team’s Week 7 trip to New England to take on the Patriots.
Jamien Sherwood is next in line to play the MIKE linebacker role in Jeff Ulbrich’s defense if Mosley cannot play against the Patriots, according to Robert Saleh. Most of the rookie’s snaps so far this season have come on the strong side in place of the injured Jarrad Davis.
Mosley leads the Jets in tackles with 45 to go along with a forced fumble and a sack. He also handles play-calling duties from the middle of New York’s defense. That responsibility would shift to Sherwood if Mosley is unable to suit up.
“Obviously when it comes to those lower-extremity injuries, you just kind of feel the player out. Each one is different,” Saleh said. “We’re 10 days out now, so we’ll see how the week goes.”
Mosley, who experienced the ill effects of coming back too soon from a groin injury in his first season with the Jets, is proceeding with caution despite the groin strain being more serious than his barking hamstring.
“It’s something that if you get back too early or you try to push too fast, it can make things worse,” Mosley said. “Honestly, it’s just a day-to-day thing.”
Even with Sherwood potentially shifting to middle linebacker, the Jets would be left razor-thin at linebacker without Mosley. Davis is still out and Hamsah Nasirildeen is on injured reserve, leaving Mosley, Sherwood and Quincy Williams as New York’s starters. Blake Cashman, who recently returned from a hamstring injury, has yet to play a defensive snap this season.
Mosley is not the Jets’ only banged-up player coming out of the bye week, as Tyler Kroft (back) missed practice and Marcus Maye (ankle) was limited on Wednesday. Adrian Colbert (concussion), Nathan Shepherd (knee) and Jeff Smith (concussion) were full participants.
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