NY Jets news: Sauce Gardner injury update, Aaron Rodgers' 2024 plans, Kene Nwangwu

Sauce Gardner injury update
Aaron Rodgers wants to start every game
Jets sign Kene Nwangwu

Justin Fried

Sauce Gardner / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

NY Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is coming off arguably his best game of the season in his team's Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury during the game and his status moving forward is uncertain.

Gardner exited the game with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday that Gardner's status is "up in the air" this week following his untimely injury.

The Jets will reportedly have more clarity later in the week, and his practice participation will be a key indicator of his availability for Sunday's game. Brandin Echols would likely be in line to start if Gardner was forced to miss time.

Gardner was Pro Football Focus' third-highest-graded cornerback in Week 13, earning a 90.1 grade—his best single-game mark since Week 7 of 2022. While it's been a rocky season at times for Gardner, the Jets are undoubtedly hoping he can build on this performance and remain available for the upcoming game.

Other NY Jets news:

Aaron Rodgers wants to keep starting

There has been speculation that the Jets could consider shutting Aaron Rodgers down at some point this season. With the Jets all but officially eliminated from postseason contention, it might make sense to sit Rodgers at some point given the numerous injuries he's been dealing with.

It doesn't sound like any QB change is imminent, however. Rodgers made his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and insisted that his goal this season has always been to start every game.

Rodgers told McAfee that he hopes to "finish the season out the right way." That certainly sounds like someone who plans to start every game for the rest of the season.

Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich doubled down on that notion when speaking to reporters on Monday, insisting "Rodgers is out quarterback." Barring injury, it doesn't seem like Tyrod Taylor or anyone else will start at QB for the Jets in 2024.

Jets sign Kene Nwangwu to active roster

The Jets seem to have learned their lesson from the whole Spencer Shrader debacle, as the team signed running back/return specialist Kene Nwangwu to their active roster on Monday.

Nwangwu was elevated from the practice squad and made his Jets debut in Week 13. The former Minnesota Vikings standout wasted little time making an impact, taking a kick return 99 yards to the house in his very first game with the team.

Signing Nwangwu to the 53-man roster prevents another team from poaching him, which is what happened with Shrader last month. Unfortunately, the Jets waived Israel Abanikanda in a corresponding move and he was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday.

Nwangwu is a former All-Pro return man who has spent essentially the entire season on the Jets' practice squad. He will have an opportunity to carve out a future role with the team over the final five games of the season.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.