Tim Patrick headed to injured reserve which could actually be good news for Joseph Ossai

The New York Jets are going to be down a wide receiver for the foreseeable future, as The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt reported on Saturday afternoon that veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick is headed to injured reserve with a groin injury he's been dealing with the last few weeks. Rosenblatt added that kicker Jason Sanders had been elevated from the practice squad.

Patrick was listed as a DNP (Did Not Participate) for all three days of Jets practice this past week, per the injury report. The only other player not to participate at all this week was edge Joseph Ossai, whose dealing with his own nagging foot injury.

This could be considered good news for Ossai, though. If the Jets are placing Patrick on injured reserve and not Ossai, that could mean that the team feels like the former Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher could be back sooner rather than later. A stint on IR means a minimum of four games missed.

Regardless, the Jets will head down to Nashville with only five wide receivers on the active roster. Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr., Isaiah Williams, and Arian Smith. It could mean an expanded role for both Cooper and Williams in New York's season opener.

Tim Patrick's IR stint could mean Joseph Ossai is close to returning for the New York Jets

While it may sound backwards to call one player's injured reserve stint good news for another player, it's not outlandish to say Ossai is a much more important player to the Jets' defense than Patrick is for their offense.

The former Denver Broncos pass catcher was slated to serve as WR5 for New York entering the season and as a veteran presence for the Jets' younger pass catchers. He can still serve as that mentor, just not in uniform.

Ossai, on the other hand, was a projected starter before suffering his unfortunate foot injury in the preseason finale. His injury has come as a major disappointment, considering his projected impact across from No. 2 overall pick David Bailey.

But again, the Jets' choosing not to place him on injured reserve may signal that Ossai will be back sooner than Week 4, which is a positive for the five-year veteran.

New York Jets rookie Omar Cooper Jr. could be in line for expanded role

With Patrick headed to injured reserve, that means more reps are available for the likes of Jets rookie pass catcher Omar Cooper Jr., who has had an up-and-down summer in the eyes of fans, to say the least.

Jets fans were quick to hit the panic button after the first preseason game, when Cooper stayed in the game late in the second quarter with the rest of the second-team players. But as training camp progressed, it was clear the former Indiana standout was doing just fine.

With Patrick on ice for at least the next four weeks, Cooper and Williams will surely see more reps, and that's good news for both young players.

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