New York Jets Place Star Veteran Safety on Injured Reserve

The New York Jets will be without one of their best defenders for at least the next four weeks.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Jets are placing veteran safety Chuck Clark on injured reserve, according to a report from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Clark will be out for at a minimum the next four games as he recovers from what was deemed to be a high-ankle sprain suffered in Monday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Jets brought Clark in via trade prior to the 2023 season, but he missed the full year after suffering a torn ACL during OTAs. In his first games as a member of the team this season, he was starting to find his way, but now his 2024 campaign is put on hold as he tries to return from what is very often an extremely tricky and painful injury for players to recover from.

The 29-year-old spent the first six seasons of his career in Baltimore after the Ravens selected him in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The trade to New York only cost the Jets a seventh rounder, but it is unfortunate that he has not been able to stay on the field thus far in his time with Gang Green.

In Clark's absence, fifth-year veteran Ashtyn Davis will likely be called upon to step up after he struggled mightily against Buffalo in Clark's absence. Luckily for the team, the next two weeks present some relief in terms of passing offenses they will go up against. Next week, New York faces off against the Steelers on the road before a rematch against the Patriots, this time in New England.

Clark will also miss at least the following two games against Houston and Arizona, but will be eligible to return from IR if he is healthy when the team faces the Colts at home on November 17. If the Jets can weather the storm in the defensive backfield until then, Clark should return and contribute heavily down the stretch of what hopes to be a playoff push.

But sitting at 2-4 and now down one of their best players in the secondary, the team certainly has some work to do in order to make that happen.