The Jets' active roster for their season finale at Miami this afternoon underwent massive changes, with five players being placed on Injured Reserve on Saturday in addition to the five players who were deactivated this morning.
All that, plus the Jets quarterback position has been reshaped for the Dolphins. Veteran Joe Flacco will get his fourth start of the season and first since Game 3, Zach Wilson will back Flacco up on the depth chart, and Mike White, his rib injury aggravated in the game at Seattle, is inactive.
The Jets on Saturday officially placed five players on IR, including three offensive linemen — LT Duane Brown (shoulder), RT George Fant (knee) and RG Nate Herbig (calf) — who started a combined 30 games this season. The other two going on IR are DBs — Lamarcus Joyner (hip) and Brandin Echols (quadriceps).
Filling those vacancies on the Green & White active roster were five players signed Saturday from the practice squad — S Will Parks and DL Bradlee Anae, O-linemen Eric Smith and Adam Pankey and WR Irvin Charles.
However, Charles and Anae have been deactivated, joining White, RB James Robinson and TE C.J. Uzomah (ankle) on the IA list.
With Uzomah down, rookie and Long Islander Jeremy Ruckert, inactive for eight games including the past three, is active.
While the Jets (7-9) are out of the postseason hunt, they are trying to end their five-game losing streak, sweep the Dolphins for the first time since 2015 (when they prevailed over the 'Fins in London and then in North Jersey), and win at Miami for the first time since 2014.
The Dolphins (8-8), meanwhile, are still fighting for a playoff berth, but they'll be doing it with their own set of injury issues on offense. Starting QB Tua Tagovailoa will miss his second game this season vs. the Jets, each time because he was in the NFL concussion protocol. Teddy Bridgewater played only one play in the Jets' 40-17 win at MetLife Stadium before leaving with a concussion and injured the pinky his throwing hand in last week's game.
Bridgewater is listed as active for Sunday's game although HC Mike McDaniel was reported late in the week to have placed the ball in the hands of the Dolphins' No. 3 QB, Skylar Thompson, for the start. Thompson played the entire game, minus that first play, at the Jets in October, and has played in six games this season with just one start, a 24-16 home loss to Minnesota. Just-signed veteran Mike Glennon is also on the active roster along with Bridgewater.
The Miami QB will have one of the NFL's most explosive WR tandems to try to connect with in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. However, Thompson's blind side is an issue because starting LT Terron Armstead, with multiple injury issues, is inactive. Next on the depth chart is Greg Little. Kendall Lamm, who started last week at New England but has a sore ankle, is also inactive.
These are the five players the Jets have listed as inactive vs. the Dolphins:
- WR Irvin Charles
- QB Mike White
- RB James Robinson
- TE C.J. Uzomah
- DL Bradlee Anae
And these are Miami's seven inactives:
- QB Tua Tagovailoa
- CB Noah Igbinoghene
- WR Cedrick Wilson
- LB Brennan Scarlett
- T Kendall Lamm
- T Terron Armstead
- TE Tanner Conner
