Garrett Wilson practiced in full Friday for the first time since a concussion kept him out of the Jets’ Week 9 loss at Kansas City, and head coach Aaron Glenn said he is confident the receiver plays Sunday against Buffalo. Wilson is questionable on the final Week 10 report, and by the team’s own account he has not been formally cleared.
Garrett Wilson is questionable for Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET game against the Bills at MetLife Stadium. He was a full participant in Friday’s practice, and head coach Aaron Glenn said Wilson has one more step to go through before he is cleared from the concussion protocol.
Is Garrett Wilson playing against the Bills?
The Jets have not committed to it, but everything they have said points that way. Wilson is questionable rather than out on the Jets’ official Week 10 injury report at NewYorkJets.com, he was a full participant Friday after two limited days, and Glenn said he is “confident” the receiver plays. The club’s full set of designations is tracked on our Jets injury report hub.
One caveat belongs on the Wednesday column. The Jets held a walkthrough that day rather than a full practice and state that participation is an estimation, so Wilson’s limited Wednesday designation is an estimate, not an observed workload.
What happened to Garrett Wilson?
Wilson was hit late in the Jets’ Week 8 loss to the Raiders, entered the concussion protocol and missed the Week 9 trip to Kansas City, as we reported in our story on Wilson being ruled out at Kansas City. The team has not characterized the specific play, and no further detail about the hit has been reported.
What has the team said about the injury?
The team has confirmed a concussion and nothing more specific than that. The official report lists Wilson with a concussion, limited Wednesday and Thursday and full Friday, with a questionable game status. In the club’s Friday notebook at NewYorkJets.com, Glenn said Wilson has “one more step to go through before he’s cleared” and that he is “confident” Wilson plays. A full practice is not a clearance, and the Jets have not announced one.
What does clearing the concussion protocol involve?
It is a five-phase league process that ends with an outside doctor. Under the NFL’s return-to-participation fact sheet at NFL.com, a player moves from symptom-limited activity through aerobic work, football-specific drills and full non-contact practice before a club physician can clear him for contact. Only then does the club’s independent neurological consultant examine him and confirm the concussion has resolved — the step Glenn referred to.
A second return is running on a different clock. Safety VJ Payne is questionable and carries a designation for return from reserve/injured, which opens a practice window before the Jets must activate him or leave him on the list for the season. Glenn said Payne is still going through his process. Our explainer on how NFL injured reserve works sets out those deadlines.
When is Garrett Wilson expected back?
Sunday, if the last protocol step clears in time. That is as far as the reporting goes: Glenn expressed confidence about this week and the Jets have offered no timeline beyond it. If Wilson is not cleared before kickoff, the following game becomes his next opportunity.
What does it change on the Jets’ depth chart?
Wilson’s return would hand a 2-7 offense its primary target back. Without him at Kansas City, rookie Omar Cooper Jr. led the Jets with eight catches for 58 yards in a 35-12 loss, which we broke down in our Week 9 recap of the Chiefs game. Cooper is himself questionable with an ankle injury, as is Adonai Mitchell with a knee, though both practiced in full Friday.
Elsewhere the report thins two units. Wallace’s absence thins the linebacker rotation, Harrison Phillips is questionable on the defensive line, and the secondary carries questionable tags on Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (illness) and Nahshon Wright (back). The clear gain beyond Wilson is Joseph Ossai, in line for his first game since Week 5. Our Week 10 preview of Bills at Jets has the matchup, and Wilson’s season is tracked on his Garrett Wilson player page.
Frequently asked questions
When will Garrett Wilson return?
The Jets have not put a date on it beyond Sunday. Wilson is questionable and Glenn said he is confident the receiver plays, but one protocol step remains and no clearance has been announced.
Is Garrett Wilson cleared from the concussion protocol?
Not as of the team’s last public update. Glenn said Friday that Wilson has “one more step to go through before he’s cleared.”
Which Jets are ruled out against the Bills?
Linebacker Trevin Wallace is the only Jet carrying an Out designation on the final Week 10 report, after three days of not practicing with a groin injury.
How many Jets are listed as questionable for Week 10?
Eight: Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (illness), Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle), Joseph Ossai (ankle), Adonai Mitchell (knee), Harrison Phillips (ankle), Garrett Wilson (concussion), Nahshon Wright (back) and VJ Payne (knee).
Is Joseph Ossai playing against the Bills?
Ossai is questionable after returning to full participation Friday. The team’s notebook reported he will play his first game since Week 5.
What is VJ Payne’s status?
Payne is questionable and carries a designation for return from reserve/injured. Glenn said the rookie safety is still going through his process.