The Jets are dealing with a raft of injuries at the interior of their offensive line.
Starting guards John Simpson (groin) and Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) will not practice Wednesday following the team's extended rest, and their status for Sunday's game at Arizona is up in the air.
"I think the tackles are going to play for sure [LT Tyron Smith and RT Morgan Moses will not practice Wednesday] and then John Simpson, just based on my conversation with him this morning [Wednesday], he felt way better than he assumed he'd feel this morning," interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said. "Probably healthier than [head athletic trainer David Zuffelato] thought he'd be. AVT, we'll see. Those high-ankle [sprains] can be tricky and the zingers that are associated with them. I'm probably more hopeful with John than AVT."
Reserve interior OL Jake Hanson also will not practice. Hanson, who started last Thursday against the Texans at right guard for Vera-Tucker, sustained a hamstring injury in the game. If Simpson, Vera-Tucker and Hanson aren't healthy enough to play Sunday at Arizona, rookie first-round pick Olu Fashanu could be in line to start his third game this season. Fashanu started Weeks 4 and 5 at right tackle, a position he didn't play at Penn State, and took 37 snaps at right guard last week, which was the first time in his football career he played guard.
"The historical reference about a guy that's never played this position in his life including p Pop w Warner and to play as well as he did was pretty astounding to me," Ulbrich said. "If he's a guy that has to play in there, that's a great opportunity for him to play and get some experience. At the same time, he provides us a quality asset for us when he does play. We'll see. A lot to assess from an injury standpoint."
On defense, S Tony Adams (hamstring) will be a full participant in Wednesday's practice after missing the last two games. LB Chazz Surratt (heel) and S Ashtyn Davis (concussion) will be limited while DL Solomon Thomas (knee), CB Michael Carter II (back) and LB C.J. Mosley (neck) will not practice.
"He's had a couple procedures on his neck to see if they can get it to loosen up," Ulbrich said of Mosley. "He got a little more range of motion as of today and yesterday. Still, we're not putting him out there until he gets full range and confident in it. We're hopeful that happens in the next couple of weeks here."
Sunday will be the first time this season the Green & White will be without wide receivers Allen Lazard, who was placed on Injured Reserve Oct. 31 with a chest injury, and Mike Williams, who was traded to the Steelers Tuesday for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick.
That could result in an increased role for Xavier Gipson, Irv Charles and rookie third-round pick Malachi Corley, who has taken 12 snaps of his 14 snaps on offense this season over the last two games. Corley, known as the "YAC King" at Western Kentucky, nearly scored his first NFL touchdown against the Texans last week on an end around, but dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, which resulted in a touchback.
"With a receiver of his caliber with the skillset that he has, to be the blocker that he is, it's pretty astounding to me, especially a guy that's young and still learning his way," Ulbrich said. "He's violent, he's relentless, he's unselfish in that way. I had a conversation with him a couple weeks ago and told him if he keeps blocking like that, we're going to set up a pretty cool play path off of that. He's like, 'Coach, I don't need a play path. I need to prove to this team who I am right now.' He's fully embracing that. So cool to see."
