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Jets' Carl Lawson Out For 2021 Season With Torn Achilles

New York Jets DE Carl Lawson will miss the entire 2021 season with a torn Achilles, suffering the injury during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers

Max Goodman

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When Jets defensive end Carl Lawson was carted off the practice field in Green Bay on Thursday, sent to get an MRI on his Achilles, all parties involved feared the worst.

Lawson had distinguished himself as one of New York's best players during training camp, a true star on the defensive line and a player poised for a massive season anchoring Gang Green's pass rush.

Unfortunately for New York, not only will the Jets wrap up training camp and the preseason without their best edge rusher, they won't have Lawson for a single game in 2021.

Lawson will miss the entire season with a ruptured Achilles, the Jets announced Thursday afternoon. It's a gut-wrenching loss for New York and a crushing blow for a rising star entering the prime of his career. 

Reporters at the facility detailed the scene earlier in the afternoon, describing players kneeling down and praying for Lawson as he was down on the ground in pain. 

Lawson was the centerpiece of an active offseason for the Jets, an edge rusher that was signed to a three-year, $45 million deal. He's entering his fifth season in the NFL, racking up 20 sacks and 81 tackles in a Bengals uniform since his rookie season in 2017.

The Auburn product has battled injuries in the past, tearing an ACL twice (once in college and once with Cincinnati a few years ago). This latest injury will once again require a grueling road to recovery, a brutal injury for a player that relies on speed and strength in his lower body, defeating tackles at the line of scrimmage in pursuit of opposing quarterbacks.

All offseason, head coach Robert Saleh, members of New York's coaching staff and Lawson's teammates have praised the defensive end, pointing out that he's due for a huge season. New York bolstered its depth on the defensive line, helping to ease the blow, but the reality is a player of Lawson's caliber is irreplaceable. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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