Omar Cooper Jr.’s injury update gives the Jets a new Kenyon Sadiq option

Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets must wait a little longer before rookies Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq are regularly sharing the field.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that Cooper, the No. 30 pick this past April, is week-to-week with an ankle sprain. The former Indiana standout had a 30-yard catch before leaving last Sunday’s 23-10 victory over Robert Saleh’s Titans.

Rapoport added that the Jets hope to have Cooper back within the next four weeks. Barring any setbacks, that’d put him on pace to return either Week 5 (home against the Browns) or Week 6 (at New England). Even before Tuesday’s news, Cooper was not expected to play against the Packers on Sunday. 

Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell will obviously continue to get their targets, and Isaiah Williams should also factor into the mix. But don’t be surprised if Cooper’s injury opens a path for Sadiq, the No. 16 pick who has seemingly already won over Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich.

What does New York Jets receiver Omar Cooper Jr.’s ankle injury mean for tight end Kenyon Sadiq?

Despite missing training camp and the preseason with a hernia, Sadiq didn’t need long to leave his mark in the regular season. He had three catches for 21 yards and a 3-yard rushing touchdown, only the second time in league history that a tight end accomplished the latter feat in his NFL debut. That’s impressive on its own, but consider that the other tight end is Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome.

Sadiq and Mason Taylor both had three targets against the Titans, tied for second-most behind Wilson’s seven. It’s evident that the Jets value the ex-Oregon star tight end’s versatility, and his potential triumphed over his lack of summer reps.

“Every time he’s been on the field, whether it was in practice or even in the game, he’s a guy who’s going to make an impact,” Geno Smith said of Saqid. “He’s a professional, he understands what to do … he showed up in a big way.”

To be clear, we’re not saying we expect Sadiq to put up Isaiah Likely or Travis Kelce-type numbers moving forward. Wilson and Mitchell have been Smith’s favorite targets for months, and Taylor built off his strong offseason. Don’t read too much into the Miami product finishing with -2 yards on two catches last weekend, because one of those grabs went for six yards. 

If Reich’s plan is to have Smith spread the ball around, then Week 1 gave us an excellent preview of what to expect. The veteran quarterback connected with eight different receivers in the Week 1 win, and he also threw to Arian Smith and Braelon Allen. Multiple former Jets had followed Saleh to Tennessee, and they watched Smith pick apart their defense like he was in Baltimore or Cincinnati.

For what it’s worth, Green Bay allowed 115 receiving yards to Vikings tight ends Tucker Kraft (65) and Jonnu Smith (50) last weekend. We wouldn’t fault you for buying Sadiq and Taylor stock headed into Sunday afternoon. 

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