HEADLINES

Max Mitchell

Jets OL Duane Brown, DE Vinny Curry Return To Practice

October 7th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Ben Levine

OCTOBER 7: Brown looks ready to be the Jets’ first IR activation this season. The 15th-year tackle said he is “good to go” for a Week 5 debut against the Dolphins, via the Associated Press’ Dennis Waszak Jr. (on Twitter). Robert Saleh said Brown would be a game-time decision. The Jets would need to move Brown off IR by Saturday afternoon’s deadline to give them the chance to start or sit the veteran. All signs point to that happening.

OCTOBER 5: The Jets will soon be getting some help on both sides of the ball. The team announced that they’ve designated offensive tackle Duane Brown and defensive end Vinny Curry to return from injured reserve.

Curry signed with the Jets prior to the 2021 season, but he missed his first season in New York after getting diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. He re-upped with the organization this offseason but a hamstring injury delayed his return to the field. During his last two healthy seasons with Philly in 2019 and 2020, he collected eight sacks in 27 games.

Brown landed on injured reserve right before Week 1 after suffering a shoulder injury in practice. The veteran was originally brought in to replace Mekhi Becton, who was previously lost for the season with a knee injury. The team later lost George Fant, whose versatility was key at the start of the season, to a knee injury that will keep him off the field until late November. Once Brown is ready to return to the lineup, he’ll provide some stability to what has been an uncertain offensive line.

The team did get some good news on the injury front regarding Max Mitchell, who was carted off the field during Sunday’s win over the Steelers. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the rookie lineman avoided a season-ending knee injury. Mitchell suffered a “dislocation,” however, and he’s set to miss a handful of weeks.

Thanks to the rotating chairs on the OL, Mitchell’s injury means guard Alijah Vera-Tucker will likely continue to start at offensive tackle for the time being. Assuming Brown isn’t ready to go this weekend, the team will have to reach further into their bag at OT, with Conor McDermott, Cedric Ogbuehi, and Mike Remmers all options to start (per ESPN’s Rich Cimini on Twitter).

Jets Sign Fourth-Round OL Max Mitchell

July 7th, 2022 at 10:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets moved one step closer to completing the signing of their draft class. The team announced that they’ve signed fourth-round offensive lineman Max Mitchell.

Mitchell was a four-year starter at Louisiana. He showed plenty of versatility during his time in college, playing both tackle positions and left guard. 29 of his 37 starts over the past three years came at right tackle, and his performance at that position earned him All-Sun Belt Conference honors in both 2020 (second team) and 2021 (first team). Thanks to his production, the Jets used the No. 111 pick to select the rookie.

George Fant and Mekhi Becton will be locked in at the two tackle spots, while Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker are expected to serve as the Jets guards. As a result, Mitchell will likely find himself on the bench during his rookie season, but his versatility means he could himself with a somewhat consistent role as a backup.

“We feel like Max can be a versatile piece on our offensive line,” said general manager Joe Douglas (via Jack Bell of the team’s website). “The guy was at the Senior Bowl. He’s very competitive. He’s been practicing at tackle and guard and snapping the ball at center. We feel like he could be another versatile piece to put on the offensive line.”

With this signing, the Jets have now inked six of their seven rookies to contracts. The only draft pick who remains unsigned is second-round running back Breece Hall.