The Jets have given edge rusher Will McDonald IV a game-status designation for the first time this season. On the club’s final Week 2 injury report, issued Friday afternoon, McDonald is listed with an ankle injury and tagged questionable for Sunday’s home opener against the Green Bay Packers.
Will McDonald IV is listed as questionable for the Jets’ home opener against Green Bay with an ankle injury. The edge rusher did not appear on Wednesday’s report, then practiced on a limited basis Thursday and Friday before the club issued its final Week 2 designations.
He is the only Jet carrying a questionable tag this week. Current designations for the whole roster are tracked on our Jets injury hub.
What is Will McDonald IV’s injury?
The Jets list it as an ankle injury, and that is the extent of what the team has said. The official report names the body part and nothing more — no diagnosis, no grade, no expected absence. The club has not characterized the injury beyond that listing, so any description of its severity would go beyond the record.
What does a questionable designation actually mean?
It means the player’s availability is genuinely unsettled. The league’s own definition, printed on the bottom of every official injury report, is simply “uncertain if player will play.” It is the least severe of the three game statuses — out, doubtful and questionable — but it is not a soft yes.
How did McDonald’s practice week progress?
He was added to the report on Thursday and was limited on both of the days he appeared. The Wednesday column next to his name is blank on the official report, meaning he was not listed at all that day. He then practiced on a limited basis Thursday and again on Friday. A player who is limited twice without being downgraded is, on the face of the report, holding steady rather than deteriorating — though the club has not said so.
Who else is on the Jets’ Week 2 injury report?
Four Jets are ruled out and the rest of the list is clean. Wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle), safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin), running back Kene Nwangwu (back) and Joseph Ossai (foot) all sat out every practice this week and are listed as out. We reported earlier this week that Minkah Fitzpatrick is expected out two to three weeks. Ossai has been working back from a ruptured plantar fascia.
Four other players — cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr., defensive lineman David Onyemata, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds and linebacker Jamien Sherwood — practiced fully on Friday and carry no game-status designation. Ponds, the rookie second-round pick, is in line to be active for the first time in his career.
What does his status mean for the Jets’ pass rush?
It puts real pressure on a group that is already short-handed. With Ossai out, the Jets would be without two rotational edge rushers if McDonald cannot go, leaving rookie David Bailey and the rest of the room to carry the down-to-down workload against Green Bay. McDonald’s standing in the defense is not in question: the club exercised his fifth-year option in April, noting at the time that he had recorded 18.5 sacks over the previous two seasons. What the report does not tell us is how much he would be limited if he does play.
When will the Jets confirm whether McDonald plays?
With the inactive list, which is released about 90 minutes before kickoff. Sunday’s game against Green Bay starts at 1:00 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium on FOX. Until that list is posted, questionable is the last official word. Our Week 2 preview of Jets vs. Packers covers the rest of the matchup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Will McDonald IV playing against the Packers?
He is officially questionable, which the NFL defines as uncertain whether the player will play. The Jets will not confirm his status until the inactive list is released about 90 minutes before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.
What injury is Will McDonald IV dealing with?
The Jets list him with an ankle injury. The club has not characterized the injury beyond that listing, and no severity, diagnosis or return timeline has been stated by the team.
When did McDonald first appear on the Week 2 injury report?
He was not listed on Wednesday’s report. He appeared for the first time on Thursday as a limited participant and was limited again on Friday.
Is this related to the injury that ended his 2025 season?
The Jets have not connected the two. McDonald was placed on injured reserve in December 2025, and the club’s injury report at that time listed a knee injury. The current listing is an ankle.
How many Jets are ruled out for Week 2?
Four. Wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle), safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin), running back Kene Nwangwu (back) and edge rusher Joseph Ossai (foot) are all listed as out.
Where can I track the Jets’ current injury designations?
Our Jets injury hub carries the full Week 2 table with each player’s Wednesday, Thursday and Friday participation and his official game status.