NY Jets news: D.J. Reed injury, Sauce Gardner change, more snaps for Mike Williams

The NY Jets are monitoring a key injury ahead of their Week 2 meeting with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Standout cornerback D.J. Reed did not practice on Friday and is listed as questionable for this week's game.

Reed popped up on the injury report on Wednesday for what Jets head coach Robert Saleh referred to as "knee soreness." He was a limited participant again on Thursday before being held out of Friday's practice entirely.

Saleh told reporters earlier in the week that Reed's injury was not considered serious and that he would play in Week 2. However, he also told reporters on Friday that every player on the roster would practice that day, only to be proven wrong mere hours later.

It's difficult to know what to make of Reed's injury, given Saleh's poor track record of reporting injuries. The Jets would turn to the likes of Brandin Echols, Qwan'Tez Stiggers, and Jarrick Bernard-Converse to fill in if Reed were unable to play.

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Sauce Gardner schematic change

Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner made it clear this offseason that he hoped to travel with opposing star wide receivers more in 2024. In Week 1, the Jets honored his request.

Gardner played 38 snaps at his usual left cornerback position but also played 16 snaps at right cornerback — the second-most he's played in a game at that position in his NFL career.

Gardner spent most of the game shadowing 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk, being targeted one time and allowing zero completions. It was Gardner's third consecutive game dating back to last season that he didn't allow a single catch.

Gardner hasn't allowed more than two catches in a game since Week 5 of the 2023 season. He hasn't allowed more than 34 yards in a game in over a year now. We're witnessing historical greatness, unlike anything we've ever seen at the cornerback position. No, not even Darrelle Revis did this.

More snaps for Mike Williams in Week 2

The understanding going into Week 1 was that wide receiver Mike Williams would be on a snap count for his first game back from a torn ACL. The Jets expected him to play more than the nine snaps he was on the field for, however.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters this week that the plan was to play Williams for around 15 snaps but that the game flow altered those plans. Entering Week 2, the Jets intend to ramp up his workload.

Saleh declined to put an exact number on Williams' snap count for this Sunday's game, but it will presumably be more than 15 snaps. That's good news for a Jets offense that struggled to find playmakers outside of Garrett Wilson in Week 1.

Allen Lazard filled in admirably for Williams, but the expectation is that the former Chargers wide receiver will assume the WR2 role in the Jets offense when healthy. This week will be another important step in his road to recovery.