New York Jets: Marcus Maye on pace to return Week 1

In a surprising plot twist, it appears New York Jets safety Marcus Maye could be ready for Week 1. Here are all the details and quotes from the team.

When the New York Jets drafted Jamal Adams back in 2017, there was plenty of reason for fans to be optimistic, but it was his pairing with second-round pick Marcus Maye that truly made this one of the most tantalizing duos in the NFL.

Despite team-wide struggles in their rookie campaign, Adams and Maye proved to be a brilliant combination, and with a deeper defense around them, many expected them to eventually become the best safety combination in the league.

Unfortunately, Marcus Maye has struggled to remain healthy since then, missing plenty of game-time in 2018, so when he had shoulder surgery this offseason, it had many worried about his health going forward.

Maye was placed on the PUP list to begin training camp following the injury that saw his season end back in December. If that wasn’t bad enough, Jets head coach Adam Gase announced at a presser that Maye was battling “nerve issues” stemming from his shoulder surgery which put his timetable to return in flux.

In a surprising plot twist, Maye made his Jets debut in training camp over the weekend. The third-year safety was activated and rejoined the team.

Maye didn’t participate in everything, but it was a step in the right direction.

Marcus Maye BACK pic.twitter.com/pZ7ei04GIR

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 11, 2019

“It felt great. It’s been a long process. But just getting out there running around, getting a feel of things, being out there with the guys, it definitely feels good to be back. I’ve been itching to get back for a while.” – Marcus Maye via Al Iannazzone of Newsday.

The process took a little bit longer than everyone involved was anticipating, but good things come to those who wait. Although the only person happier than Marcus that he’s back is his coach Adam Gase:

“I’m just glad he can’t bother me about it anymore,” Gase said via Al Iannazzone of Newsday. He’s been begging me to get out there. We’re trying to be smart with putting him out there. We didn’t want to be wrong. If we were a little cautious, that was fine. We were all in agreement that we wanted to make sure he was in a good spot to where he can start hitting, just making sure his strength was up. That was the key to everything.”

This is great news for a team looking to solidify the backend of their defense.

In Week 1 of the preseason, the Jets secondary concerns were on full display vs the New York Giants. A healthy Marcus Maye for Week 1 could dramatically change the fortunes of the Jets on that side of the football.

From all indications, Maye should have more than enough time to get himself ready for a Week 1 return against the Buffalo Bills.