Alex Lewis has stepped away from the Jets, and the team responded by placing the veteran guard on its exempt/left squad list.
The multiyear Jets offensive line starter informed Robert Saleh of his decision, and the first-year HC said Lewis is battling issues “much greater than football,” via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter). The team announced Lewis sustained a head injury in practice Thursday. The Jets, who have received a roster exemption, plan to remain in communication with the sixth-year O-lineman, Cimini tweets.
This development marks the second straight year in which a non-football issue has led to a Lewis absence. Lewis did not play past Week 10 of last season, and the hiatus resulted in the former trade acquisition landing on the Jets’ non-football illness list. The Jets gave the 29-year-old blocker a pay cut this offseason, reducing his salary from $5.8MM to $3MM.
Gang Green has used Lewis as a starter for most of his tenure. A dust-up with Kelechi Osemele in 2019 led the Jets to move Lewis into their starting lineup, and he has started 21 games for the team since. The Jets, however, traded up in Round 1 to draft USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and still have Greg Van Roten on their roster. A 2020 free agency addition, Van Roten started 13 games last season. Vera-Tucker is set to replace Lewis as a starter, but the latter was receiving first-team reps due to a minor Vera-Tucker injury.