Only two games remain in the 2024 regular season and New York Jets rookie Olu Fashanu will miss both of them. After leaving the team's Week 16 game against the Los Angeles Rams with a foot injury, Fashanu will be placed on injured reserve but will avoid surgery.
Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich confirmed that the first-round rookie will be placed on injured reserve with plantar fasciitis, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. While Cimini previously reported that Fashanu would need surgery, he later rescinded the statement. Fashanu's rookie season comes to a close with seven starts in the year between both tackle positions.
Fashanu picked up his injury in the fourth quarter of Week 16 and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the contest. He was unable to put any weight on his right foot after going down and was taken directly to the locker room once reaching the sidelines.
The injury designation makes him the second member of New York's offensive line to land on injured reserve. Star left tackle Tyron Smith has already been shut down for the season. In their absences, veterans Morgan Moses and Max Mitchell are in line to start the team's final two games of 2024.
Jets limp into Week 17 with 4-11 record
The 2024 season was supposed to be a resurgent year for the Jets with the unofficial debut of Aaron Rodgers. However, nothing has gone according to plan for New York, resulting in another horrid season that will end well below .500.
New York's loss to the Rams in Week 16 prevented them from embarking on a late-season win streak. They entered the game off a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, their first since topping the Houston Texans in Week 9.
Without Fashanu, the Jets will close out 2024 with two tantalizing matchups. In Week 17, they will face the Buffalo Bills on the road before playing the Miami Dolphins at home in their final game of the year. New York is already 0-1 against both teams on the season, though they took Miami to overtime in Week 14. The Dolphins are still clinging onto their playoff hopes by a thread.
