Jets offense might find a new rock bottom in Week 7 after latest WR injuries

The New York Jets already presented a compelling case for the worst wide receiver room in the NFL entering the 2025 season. That, combined with poor quarterback play, has produced maybe the most inept passing game in football through six weeks.

This is a Jets team that had a historically bad -10 net passing yards in the team's 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 6. Yet somehow, someway, this Jets passing game is about to get even worse.

Star wide receiver Garrett Wilson suffered a knee injury in that game and is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks. The Jets did not rule out the possibility that Wilson plays this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers when speaking to reporters on Wednesday, but it seems highly unlikely he's able to suit up.

But that's not all. Veteran WR2 Josh Reynolds also missed practice on Wednesday due to a hip injury, leaving the team with just three healthy wide receivers on their active roster. It's hard to imagine a worse Jets passing attack than what we just saw a few days ago, but here we are.

Jets' Garrett Wilson and Josh Reynolds dealing with injuries

Wilson has been, in many ways, the focal point of the Jets' offense and is on pace for new career highs across the board. The former Ohio State star has 36 catches for 395 yards and four touchdowns through six games.

Reynolds was signed to be a capable veteran WR2, but no other wide receiver on this Jets roster has emerged as anything other than a replacement-level contributor.

In four games this season, Reynolds ranks as the Jets’ second-leading wide receiver with a grand total of eight catches for 72 yards — the exact same stat line as backup tight end Jeremy Ruckert.

All other wide receivers on the Jets' roster outside of Wilson have combined for 20 catches and 183 yards in six games this season. If you take out Reynolds, the remaining healthy wideouts have just 12 catches for 101 yards.

The Jets would be forced to rely on a trio of Tyler Johnson (who began the year on the practice squad), Allen Lazard (a healthy scratch at times this season), and rookie fourth-round pick Arian Smith (who has just four catches) if Wilson and Reynolds are unable to play Sunday.

The team also has the likes of Brandon Smith, Isaiah Williams, Quentin Skinner, Jamaal Pritchett, and the newly signed Trenton Irwin on their practice squad. The expectation is that Williams will be signed to the 53-man roster this week, although he mostly offers value as a returner.

The only silver lining is that a matchup with the Carolina Panthers should be far less daunting than last week’s meeting with Denver’s vaunted defense. Still, that might not matter given the dire state of this wide receiver room.

At this point, the Jets don’t need a miracle — they just need competent bodies. But with their offense in shambles and their receiving corps down to its bare bones, even that might be asking too much