Jets Lose $20 Million Starter to Serious Injury in Rams Loss

The New York Jets suffered a 19-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16. However, the bigger loss came on the field when starting left tackle Olu Fashanu was carted off of the field in the fourth quarter.

Fashanu injured his left foot and was immediately ruled out for the rest of the game by the Jets medical staff.

Olu Fashanu being carted to the Jets locker room pic.twitter.com/wSbQ8D6oje

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 22, 2024

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After the game interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich confirmed the “foot” injury for Fashanu.

“Yeah, we’ll get more information as we get some scans and a deeper look at it. He was in some pain for sure,” Ulbrich added.

Fashanu had trouble putting weight on the leg on the field and had to be helped off of the field and then eventually carted to the locker room.

SNY NFL Insider Connor Hughes asked Ulbrich if there was any fear that this could be an Achilles injury for Fashanu.

“I’d really just be speculating,” Ulbrich responded.

Hughes spotted Fashanu in the locker room “on crutches” and added, “Not a great sign, obviously.”

A Jets Season Goes From Bad to Worse

Things have gone just about as poorly as anyone could have expected this season. The Jets have long since been eliminated from the playoffs. However, a lone bright spot has been the play of Fashanu.

Fashanu, 22, was the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. The former Penn State product is in the first year of his $20 million contract.

Fashanu started his rookie season on the bench because of the signing of veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith.

Smith got injured and was eventually placed on injured reserve which opened the door for Fashanu to take over the blindside. This season he appeared in 15 games and made seven starts.

According to Pro Football Focus, Fashanu has only given up one sack all season.

Jets Offensive Line Heading Into 2025 Will Be a Strength

Before the injury, Fashanu showed signs of being a promising building block at left tackle for the present and future for the Jets.

Heading into next season the Jets have 80% of their starting offensive line under contract. That group includes John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and the aforementioned Fashanu.

All of those players are 27 years of age or younger. The only question mark is the right tackle position. Morgan Moses, 33, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Even if the Jets decide to bring Moses back they will have to get a youngster in the room to develop to become the long-term solution at right tackle.

The offensive line can be used as a great recruiting piece to lure the most attractive possible candidates at both head coach and general manager.

When Joe Douglas arrived in 2019, the Jets offensive line was a mess. It’s sort of ironic that his ghost gift that will live beyond his Jets tenure is a stout offensive line for whoever replaces him in 2025.