NFL News: NY Jets Safety Jim Leonhard Out With Shin Injury
New York Jets safety Jim Leonhard will be out for at least Monday’s game against the New England Patriots, following an extreme shin injury when running into wide receiver Patrick Turner on Friday during practice. Leonhard had to be carted off of the field on a stretcher.
“He’s got a shin injury that is severe, I don’t know the extent of the injury right now,” Jets head coach Rex Ryan said. “But he’s, you know, obviously will be out this week, so that’s a huge blow for us.”
Ryan did not want to confirm whether something was broken or not and simply referred to it as an “injury.” He also said that the extent of the injury will be known after doctors run X-rays on Leonhard.
According to Ryan, the injury could have occurred when the players collided or when Leonhard fell after the collision. The injury comes after a practice that was the best of the year, said Ryan.
"Don't feel sorry for us, we'll be fine. Emotionally, it's a letdown," Ryan said during his press conference on Friday.
Leonhard’s timing couldn’t be worse, with the Jets playing against one of only two other teams in the NFL with a 9-2 record. The Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are the only two other 9-2 teams in the league, with the Pats and Jets game on Monday night.
The Pats already boast one of the best passing games in the league and Leonhard was already in for a long hard night before the injury.
Now it will just be harder for him to watch.
The Jets will substitute Leonhard with safeties Eric Smith and Brodney Pool. Smith started last week against the Cincinnati Bengals and Monday will be his fifth start of the season.
"We'll probably lean more on Eric Smith...he's probably the smartest guy I know,” Ryan said.
The freak injury occurred while Turner was running a route vertically, when quarterback Mark Brunell threw a perfect pass to Turner. Leonhard jumped to make the play when the players collided. Both of the players went down, recalls Turner.
“It was just two guys going for the ball and running into each other,” Turner said. “It wasn’t the hardest of collisions.”
A team source said that it was a routine play and that it wasn’t Brunell’s fault in the accident. He did, however, say that the impact was loud.
"You could hear the 'the thud' from the sidelines,” the source said.
The Jets’ game against the Pats will start at 8:30 PM ET on Monday at Gillette Stadium.
Stay tuned!
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