Starting left tackle Tyron Smith is doubtful to return to the Jets’ Week 10 matchup with the Cardinals due to a neck injury, according to a team announcement.
Smith played left tackle for every Jets offensive snap this season until his injury on Sunday. He was replaced by rookie Olumuyiwa Fashanu, who was drafted by New York with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Fashanu started two games at right tackle this year and played 37 snaps at right guard in Week 9.
Smith signed with the Jets in March to give Aaron Rodgers a proven blindside protector for his second year in New York. Though the team still drafted Fashanu to be a potential franchise left tackle, Smith’s presence ensured that the Jets did not have to risk Rodgers’ health behind a rookie lineman.
Additionally, cornerback Brandin Echols is out for the remainder of Week 10 with a concussion.
The 2021 sixth-rounder played in the Jets’ first nine games with starts in Week 2 and Week 7 and a key role on special teams. As a pending free agent, he garnered some trade interest ahead of last week’s deadline.