New York Jets tight end Dustin Keller likely to be back for Week 4 game – NFL News
After losing their rookie wide receiver Stephen Hill for their next tie, New York Jets will get some relief as their tight end Dustin Keller is likely to play in Week 4 game against San Francisco 49ers.
Although Keller returned to the practice field, he practiced with the rehab group. He was able to catch one pass for seven yards before he got injured during the Jets season opener against Miami Dolphins.
He injured his hamstring during the game and was unable to play in the next two ties.
Keller’s return will largely benefit Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who can throw a good amount of passes towards him.
Keller, a five-season veteran, has got the most receptions in the offence during the last two seasons. Talking about Keller’s return, Jets head coach Rex Ryan said:
"You're talking about one of the premier receiving tight ends in the league. Those guys are hard to replace ... Hopefully, Dustin will be out there this week. I assume he will be."
Sanchez gets good support from Keller who makes the offence a much more stable unit. In absence of Keller, Sanchez had to throw most of his passes to wide receiver Santonio Holmes.
Explicating the importance of Keller in his team, Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano said:
"He's been a real steady player here for Mark and I think anytime you can get more weapons out on the field to help yourself, that would be great."
Sparano tried many players during Keller’s absence to replace him, but all of them were unsuccessful to provide better output.
Meanwhile, Hill got injured during Jets’ Week 3 game. Although he came back to play in that game, he seemed to have increased his pain even further.
He has missed two practice sessions in a row. He played well in the season opener in which he managed to score two touchdowns, but was unable to perform better in the rest of the two games.
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