New York Jets

The New York Jets announced that veteran pass-rusher Carl Lawson will miss the entire 2021 NFL season after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

The injury came during Thursday's practice.

Lawson signed a three-year, $45 million deal that included $30 million guaranteed with the Jets in the offseason.

The size of that contract spoke to how much New York expected of the 2017 fourth-round pick. Through four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded 20 sacks and 19 tackles for loss.

In January, Pro Football Focus' Ben Linsey described Lawson as perhaps "the best pure pass rusher to hit free agency this offseason." After spending most of his time in Cincinnati in a more limited role, the breakout opportunity was real in 2021.

The 26-year-old was making a strong impression on first-year head coach Robert Saleh in training camp.

Lawson was a sensible addition to a Jets defense that recorded 31 sacks as a team, tied for 20th.

With the regular season right around the corner, New York may have limited options to replace along the defensive line. Absent an outside addition, the onus could be on Ronald Blair or Bryce Huff to assume a starting role.

For Lawson, the concern extends beyond 2021.

The Athletic's Stephen Holder reported in May how major Achilles injuries aren't quite as deleterious to players' careers compared to past eras, but it's still a major hurdle to overcome.

The timing of Lawson's injury should at least allow him to be back to 100 percent in time for the 2022 season.

The New York Jets and Green Bay Packers are having joint practices this week prior to their preseason game Saturday at Lambeau Field.

That has given Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson the opportunity to share the field and talk with three-time NFL MVP and Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, and the former BYU star spoke with reporters about the experience, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

"[Jets backup quarterback James Morgan] is a big fanboy. He was getting a little nervous," Wilson said.

"I'm a big fanboy too. We all have to kind of pretend like we've been there before. We're enjoying just being out here and being able to talk to him."

Wilson was nine years old when Rodgers became the Packers' full-time starting quarterback in 2008. The No. 2 pick added he was "100 percent" a Rodgers fan growing up and that he talked to him about two-minute drills.

As far as Rodgers' thoughts on Wilson, the reigning MVP said he was "a good kid" and that it was "fun to see him."

Wilson was impressive in his first preseason action, completing six of nine passes for 63 yards and converting a couple of third downs in a 12-7 win over the New York Giants on Saturday.

He'll look to follow up on that performance when he takes the field at 4:25 p.m. ET Saturday.

Coming out of the first week of the preseason, New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson isn't making splashy headlines like Justin Fields in Chicago or Trey Lance in San Francisco. 

And that probably suits the Jets just fine. 

Wilson, under the watchful eye of the Big Apple media bubble, had a rocky start to camp. There were flashes of a big arm and quality play, but also a day in which The Athletic's Connor Hughes tallied Wilson as going 11-of-24 with two interceptions and three points on seven drives. 

Expectations that Wilson would follow in the footsteps of a Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert and light the NFL up right away—let alone turn into a long-term option under center—were flattened a bit, to say the least. 

That set the stage for Saturday night, when Wilson quietly had a solid 6-of-9 line with 63 yards in limited work during a 12-7 win over the New York Giants. 

Doesn't sound like much, but as NFL Network's Brian Baldinger broke down, some of the technical details behind the throws were encouraging: 

All of this in a live setting that served as Wilson's pro debut. As Pro Football Focus noted, he was perfect on his two attempts beyond 10 yards. He converted all three of his attempts on third down, even in the face of pressure. PFF also noted he's got the second-highest passing grade of any rookie passer this preseason so far. 

More to the point, the Jets utilized some bootleg actions and quick-hitters on short drops to give Wilson some easier throws in his first game. Those quick-hit throws and bootlegs were common for Wilson in his career at BYU, which should keep him comfortable in a live-game setting despite the dramatic change in speed.

Remember, Wilson completed 67.6 percent of his passes with 7,652 yards and 56 touchdowns against 15 interceptions in three season at BYU. If the Jets can bring some of his collegiate comfort zones to the pros (like Cincinnati did with LSU concepts for Burrow), he should have a solid rookie year. This is especially true as he gets more reps with his permanent set of targets. 

Part of making sure the Jets don't fall into quarterback purgatory again relies on properly building the roster around Wilson. The offense flashed some such improvements on Saturday, as Wilson found big free-agent addition Corey Davis twice for 18 yards. He's got another big body in Denzel Mims, quality veterans like Jamison Crowder and a massive second-round breakout candidate in Ole Miss' Elijah Moore. Keep in mind, the Jets' offensive line is bolstered by first-rounders Alijah Vera-Tucker at guard and Mekhi Becton at tackle. 

A revolving door of coordinators (Darnold had two over three seasons, for example) and head coaches, plus an inability to put top-tier weapons around the quarterback to complement some strong defenses didn't help highly drafted quarterbacks realize their potential. 

Looking back as far as 2000, the Jets haven't gotten a ton out of the quarterback position. A first-round investment in Chad Pennington led to a few playoff appearances before a brief visit by one Brett Favre. Defenses propped up 2009 No. 5 pick Mark Sanchez, who completed 55.1 percent of his passes with a 33-29 record (with two trips to the AFC title game and one butt fumble) over four years in the Big Apple. And 2013 second-round pick Geno Smith never completed 60 percent of his passes over the course of two seasons, nor did he throw for more touchdowns than interceptions in notable patches of playing time. 

The Jets then decided to take another risk on a USC passer early, drafting Sam Darnold at No. 3 in 2018. He missed 10 games, completed more than 60 percent of his passes once, threw 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions and went 13-25 over three seasons. The Jets saw enough and shipped him to Carolina this offseason. 

Make no mistake, the Jets failed Darnold as much as the inverse, but it's at least something the front office seems to be attempting to fix with how it's building around Wilson. 

The lackluster performances from the Jets' QBs in the past sets a pretty low bar for Wilson to pass to generate any type of hype, but his play on Saturday warranted the hype.

"He looked comfortable, especially on third down," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. "[He] made some good throws, directed the offense really well. He got in and out of the huddle and moved it very well. It was a good first day."

More than anything else, it just comes down to Wilson. His first pro showing didn't hint at any major issue that will derail his career, like a penchant for turnovers Darnold showed early (including college, where he had 22 interceptions in two seasons). Wilson mostly looked like his film at BYU, throwing on the run well and in the face of pressure, even into tight windows. 

Is it early? Indeed. But rest assured, Jets fans will happily take a solid outing like that as opposed to the gloom and doom that would've come if Wilson had shown up at his first pro game and turned the ball over or generally flirted with the dreaded "B" word. 

Wilson will have to stack good performances, particularly in the regular season, to put his name alongside Burrow and Hebert in terms of recent rookie performers—and even longer to fix the long-term suffering of Jets faithful. But with his skill set and an organization that appears to be committed to building around their new franchise quarterback after making heavy investments in players around him, there's reason for positivity about the outlook. 

Former Robert Morris University and New York Jets head coach Joe Walton died on Sunday at the age of 85.

Robert Morris' athletic department announced the news in an official statement. 

The Jets also issued a statement, reflecting on Walton's time with the franchise:

Joe Theismann, who was coached by Walton for three seasons with the Washington Football Team from 1978-80, posted a message on Twitter about his former offensive coordinator:

Walton was a tight end as a player at the University of Pittsburgh and a tight end and defensive end during his eight-year NFL career from 1957 to '64. He played for Washington and the New York Giants before retiring. 

After spending four years as a scout with the Giants from 1965 to '68, Walton was named New York's wide receivers coach in 1969. He spent five seasons in that role before going back to Washington as running backs coach. 

Washington later promoted Walton to offensive coordinator prior to the 1978 season. The Pennsylvania native got his first head coaching job in 1983 with the New York Jets. 

Walton went 53-57-1 in seven seasons as an NFL head coach with the Jets. He led the team to back-to-back playoff appearances in 1985 and '86. 

After a two-year stint as offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Walton finished his career at Robert Morris for 20 seasons from 1994 to 2013. He went 115-92-1 and led the program to six Northeast Conference titles, including five straight from 1996 to 2000. 

Robert Morris' primary sports facility, Joe Walton Stadium, opened in 2005 and was named after the legendary Colonials coach. It currently serves as the home for the football program, as well as the men's and women's lacrosse teams. 

Walton was inducted into the Northeast Conference Hall of Fame and Robert Morris Athletics Hall of Fame.   

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson enjoyed a solid professional debut by completing six of nine passes for 63 yards in a 12-7 win over the New York Giants on Saturday in preseason action.

After the game, Jets head coach Robert Saleh raved about his potential.

 “This man’s potential is through the roof," Saleh said, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Wilson converted a few key third downs, including this one to wideout Corey Davis.

He also found Keelan Cole later in the game:

Wilson's night was over early in the second quarter after the Jets' drive stalled following a failed fourth-down conversion on the Giants' 42-yard line.

But he impressed in limited action as the Jets rookie ramped up his activity en route to New York's 2021 regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers.

The Jets selected Wilson out of BYU with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The New York Jets won the MetLife Bowl after beating the New York Giants 12-7 on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in the opening preseason game for both teams.

Zach Wilson, the former BYU quarterback who the Jets selected No. 2 in the 2021 NFL draft, completed six of nine passes for 63 yards in his professional debut.

Jets running back La'Mical Perine scored on a four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. That proved to be the only touchdown either team scored all game, and it gave the Jets a 10-0 lead following the extra point.

The Giants cut the deficit to 10-7 courtesy of Damion Willis' 21-yard touchdown catch with 7:05 remaining in regulation prior to the extra point.

Big Blue had a last-gasp chance to tie or take the lead after getting the ball back with 1:46 remaining in regulation on its own 6-yard line, but Hamilcar Rashed and Jonathan Marshall sacked Giants quarterback Clayton Thorson for a safety to effectively seal the game.

Many starters on both teams rested, including Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.

The Giants offense struggled in defeat, amassing just 163 total yards of offense. Quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Thorson combined to complete just eight of 23 passes for 92 yards, and they were sacked five times.

The Jets started the three-game preseason with a win, and the Giants started their stretch with a loss.

Notable Performances

Jets QB Zach Wilson: 6-of-9 passing, 63 yards

Jets RB La'Mical Perine: 12 carries, 30 rushing yards, 1 TD

Jets WR Denzel Mims: 3 catches, 51 receiving yards

Giants QB Clayton Thorson: 5-of-16, 72 passing yards, 1 TD

Giants WR Damion Willis: 1 catch, 21 receiving yards, 1 TD

Giants WR David Sills V: 3 catches, 49 receiving yards

Wilson Debuts for Gang Green

Wilson enjoyed a respectable showing on Saturday highlighted by an exceptional proficiency on third down.

The 22-year-old had a pair of nine-yard passes to wide receiver Corey Davis on a 12-play, 92-yard drive that ended with Chris Naggar's 30-yard field goal. The latter pass led to the Jets getting a first down after facing a 3rd-and-6 on the Giants' 27-yard line:

Wilson later sliced a 16-yard pass to Keelan Cole on a 3rd-and-9 from the Jets' own 20-yard line:

As Pro Football Focus noted, Wilson was 2-of-2 on throws of 10-plus yards (25 yards total).

Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record summed up Wilson's night:

Overall, it was a solid showing for Wilson as he learns on the fly en route to leading the Jets this season.

Giants Offense Struggles in Defeat

There's hope that the Giants can rebound from finishing with the second-fewest points in the league last year, especially considering the return of running back Saquon Barkley from a season-ending torn ACL and the additions of wideout Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney.

None of those players took part in Saturday's action, and the same went for Jones, who is about to enter his third NFL season.

Therefore, the largely second- and third-string Giants took the field Saturday, and they largely struggled.

New York was out-gained 316-163. The Giants also possessed the ball for just 20:11 compared to the Jets' 39:49. Gang Green also had 21 first downs to Big Blue's 11. In addition, the Giants went just 2-of-12 on third- and fourth-down opportunities.

Quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Thorson combined to complete just eight of 23 passes for 92 yards, and two of those passes encompassed 58 of them.

The running game contributed 16 carries for 105 yards, with Sandro Platzgummer gaining 48 of them on one carry. But Corey Clement also fumbled away the ball on the Jets' 3-yard line in the second quarter.

Overall, it wasn't a banner night for the offense, but that should be taken with a grain of salt given the short-handed roster in the preseason.

What's Next?

The Jets will travel to face the Green Bay Packers next Saturday at 4:25 p.m. at Lambeau Field.

The Giants will visit the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, August 22, at 1 p.m. ET at FirstEnergy Stadium.

New York Jets wide receiver Denzel Mims told reporters that he lost 20 pounds last spring after suffering food poisoning following a plate of bad salmon.

"I haven't touched salmon ever since then," Mims said, per ESPN's Rich Cimini, who outlined the physical toll that the wideout underwent.

Mims, a 2020 second-round pick, missed most of the offseason practices as he dealt with the severe effects. He vomited for two weeks and required antibiotics because of an intestinal infection. He didn't say where he ate the salmon (he wasn't asked), but a source said it was served in the Jets' cafeteria. His weight plummeted from 217 to 197, such a dramatic decline that he's only back to 208 after two months of healthy eating.

The Jets selected Mims with the No. 59 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. The ex-Baylor Bear had 23 catches for 357 yards in nine games.

A hamstring injury forced him onto injured reserve in September 2020, and he didn't make his debut until Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills. Mims also missed one game because of a personal issue.

Mims is currently listed behind wideouts/starters Corey Davis, Jamison Crowder and Keelan Cole on the Jets' first unofficial depth chart. Cimini said he is "no better than fifth or sixth" on the Jets' depth chart at the position.

Cimini also noted that Mims got off to a slow training camp start but has since picked it up. SNY's Ralph Vacchiano noted Mims' good day at the office Wednesday:

Jets head coach Robert Saleh also said "no, absolutely not" when asked if the Jets would consider giving up on him.

"He's working his tail off, and the harder he works, the more he puts in, the more opportunities he's going to get. He's part of the rotation," Saleh said, per Cimini.

Mims outlined the extra work he's been doing to "be ready."

Mims and the Jets are scheduled to open their preseason against the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Saturday evening.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown is all-in on Elijah Moore being the brightest star in the 2021 rookie class. 

Appearing on the Raw Room podcast, Brown said he will "bet all my game checks" on the New York Jets wideout winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

The bet means Brown would be willing to wager his entire 2021 base salary of $1.009 million. 

Brown does have some bias in this prediction, as he was teammates with Moore for one season at the University of Mississippi in 2018. Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf was also on that team. 

Brown's confidence in Moore isn't totally unwarranted. The 21-year-old has earned rave reviews for his performance in training camp.

Connor Hughes of The Athletic wrote on Monday that "no Jets receiver has dominated daily like Moore" and the "team believes it has a star on its hands."

If the second-round pick ends up being Zach Wilson's favorite target right out of the gate, Moore could be the first Jets player to win an NFL Rookie of the Year since Sheldon Richardson took home the defensive award in 2013. 

The Jets have never had an offensive player win the NFL Rookie of the Year award since its inception in 1967.