Jets safety’s season is over after being placed on IR
The season of second-year Jets safety Marcus Maye came to an early ending Saturday when the team placed him on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
It ends an injury-plagued year for Maye, who was the Jets’ second-round pick in 2017. Maye injured his ankle in the final game of last season, which led to offseason surgery. He returned late in training camp but was again sidelined to start the season, missing the first three games of the year.
Maye, 25, then broke his right thumb in October in a game against the Colts. He missed the next week’s game. He then injured his shoulder three weeks ago against the Bills.
Maye finished the year with one interception.
Darryl Roberts replaced Maye last week and is expected to be the Jets starter at safety against the Titans. The Jets also signed safety Jeremy Clark off the practice squad. He was a sixth-round pick in 2017.
There are not many Jets players who have a legitimate case for making the Pro Bowl, but kicker Jason Myers is one.
Besides Jamal Adams, it is hard to come up with a Jet having a better season. Myers has made 23 of 25 field goals this season and has kicked 42 touchbacks on his kickoffs, sixth-best in the league.
The Jets picked Myers up off waivers in August after the Seahawks cut him. That had been the second time in a year that Myers had been cut. The Jaguars dumped him last October after three years with the team.
“I worked hard since I got let go in Jacksonville to kick up to my potential,” Myers said this past week. “It’s nice to see it come full circle and kick the way I know I’m capable of kicking week in, week out.”
Myers set an NFL record by kicking his fifth field goal of 55 yards or more last week. The Jaguars cut him last year after he went 0 for 3 from beyond 50. Getting cut motivated Myers and his work is now paying off.
“It was a shock, but it’s a business and that’s what they wanted to do,” Myers said. “I went back home and started working to get better. I didn’t sit there on my couch and cry. You just have to start working again and when an opportunity comes, take advantage of it.”
Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer can’t say enough about his kicker.
“I think the guy has done an outstanding job,” Boyer said. “[He’s] exceeded all of our expectations, certainly mine. He’s a professional, does everything and deserves every accolade he can get. I think he has done a fantastic job and he’s meant a hell of a lot to this team, I know that.”
As for the Pro Bowl, Myers said he won’t be campaigning.
“I’m not one of those guys that’s going to go out and post stuff,” he said. “I’m trying to go week by week and hopefully in the end the numbers are there for that. If not, it is what it is.”
Jets rookie DL Nathan Shepherd has been a starter since Day 1 and has played a significant amount this year, but the coaches want to see more from him and were disappointed in how he played last week against the Patriots.
“He’s been solid in a lot of situations. I’d like to see him make more plays,” defensive line coach Robert Nunn said. “I thought he didn’t play his best game last week. I thought that was the worst outing he’s had. He’s got to bounce back. That’s part of this league. You have to go out there and play every snap like it’s your last. Overall, he’s been solid. He plays hard. He plays tough. He’s got to be more consistent.”
