New York Jets Star Safety Leaves Buffalo Bills Game With Injury

The New York Jets saw one of their top back-line players get hurt in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets safety Chuck Clark (36) against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Just as the New York Jets were getting healthier on the defensive side of the ball, they saw another one of their top defenders get hurt in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

Safety Chuck Clark left the game with an ankle injury, per the Jets, and was questionable to return. When he left the game he already led the Jets in tackles with four. He was later downgraded to out. New York reportedly had him get X-rays for the ankle, per ESPN.

Clark is an eight-year veteran who joined the Jets last season via trade but was unable to play after he tore his ACL during organized team activities in the summer and missed the entire season.

His return this season gave the back line of the Jets’ defense tremendous stability since he returned. Going into Monday’s game he had 16 tackles with a forced fumble and a pass defended.

Before he arrived he spent six years with the Baltimore Ravens, where he played nearly every game and grew into one of the best safeties in the NFL. In his final season with Baltimore in 2022 he had a career-high 101 tackles.

Baltimore selected him in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech, where he was a three-year standout with the Hokies.

While this has been a tumultuous week for the Jets overall, the defense enjoyed more consistency for game-planning purposes. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was elevated to interim head coach after the firing of Robert Saleh, and he remained the defensive play caller from Monday's game.

The Jets made a change at play caller on offense, demoting Nathaniel Hackett and elevating Todd Downing.

The Jets got two of their defensive stars back for the game, one of which hadn’t been active in three weeks and another that was making his season debut.

Linebacker C.J. Mosley, who missed three games with a toe injury, was active after being a limited participant in practice all week. He was listed as questionable. Jamien Sherwood, who has started for Mosley since the injury, started again on Monday.

Defensive tackle Leki Fotu, who the Jets signed as a free agent during the offseason, was activated from injured reserve after spending two weeks ramping up in practice.

He signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in the offseason, a deal that can pay him $4 million with bonuses. But, he hurt his hamstring in the preseason and was put on injured reserve to start the season.

The Jets opened Fotu’s window to prepare for the season two weeks ago and he was a full participant in practice all week.