Jets' First-Round Rookie Inactive, Surrenders Gameday Spot to Veteran

Lawson's return makes McDonald odd man out vs. Cowboys

Carl Lawson is up, but Will McDonald is down.

With a veteran edge rusher making his season debut, the New York Jets’ 2023 first-round draft pick landed on the gameday inactives list.

McDonald, the No. 15 overall selection this past April, played 19 percent of the defensive snaps in the Monday Night Football opener and made one solo stop. In Week 2, however, the Jets opted to replace him with Lawson, who was held out of the lid-lifter due to back problems.

Earlier in the week, Gang Green’s third-year head coach Robert Saleh said the intention was to make Lawson active in the road game at Dallas.

"Anticipating him being up this week," said Saleh. “Just didn’t think it’d be a good idea to practice him, play a game, short week, play another game with the amount of time he had off. So, this [Cowboys Week] would be Week 1 for him."

Lawson started all 17 games for the Jets in 2022 after recovering from an Achilles tear. The 2017 fourth-round draft pick, who spent his first five NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, recorded 7.0 sacks and 24 quarterback hits during his first campaign with Gang Green.

The Jets’ defensive line rotation is one of the league’s deepest and most talented units. There simply aren’t enough available spots to activate everyone on gameday, meaning one player will likely be the odd man out from week to week. This time, it’s the first-round rookie’s turn to take a seat.

Out of the Green & White's six Week 2 inactives, three were drafted this past April. Fifth-round running back Israel Abanikanda and sixth-round linebacker Zaire Barnes have yet to make their regular season debuts.

Lawson totaled 23 defensive snaps in the 30-10 loss to the Cowboys. He made two tackles, twice limiting the ball carrier to no more than a two-yard gain.

Jets' Week 2 Inactives

RB Israel Abanikanda 

LB Zaire Barnes

CB Bryce Hall 

DE Will McDonald 

OL Max Mitchell

K Greg Zuerlein 

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