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Injury and illness have created a need for the Jets at wide receiver, and Denzel Mims looks like he will get a chance to fill that void.
With the status of Corey Davis up in the air — he hasn’t practiced this week due to a groin injury — and Keelan Cole testing positive for COVID-19, Mims should get an extended look Sunday against the Eagles.
Mims, the team’s second-round draft pick a year ago, last appeared in a game on Nov. 4 against the Colts before contracting COVID. He returned last week and has practiced fully this week.
“Not only was he getting comfortable with the offense, but making the plays [before his setback],” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said on Thursday. “All we want for him to do right now is go, line up, play as fast as you can. When the ball comes your way, you go make that play like we all know he can.”
It’s been a mostly lost season for Mims, who has just seven catches for 129 yards in five games. He was slowed by a stomach virus during the offseason, which in turn set him back during training camp and stunted his development in the Jets’ new offensive system. He was inactive in the team’s second and third games of the season. Coach Robert Saleh said at the time that Mims needed to learn all three receiver positions and not playing on special teams was working against him.
The Jets’ kicking competition took another turn Thursday. After special teams coach Brant Boyer said struggling starter Matt Ammendola and challenger Alex Kessman were on even ground, it was revealed that the Jets worked out free-agent kicker Eddy Pineiro. Ammendola is 13-for-19 on the season and has missed three kicks the last two weeks.
“Sometimes you can get a little bit out of whack with your technique. He’s an ultra-talented kid, but he’s got to convert when we need the points,” Boyer said of the 24-year-old Ammendola. “There’s a lot of positives for what he’s doing, but we got to get things fixed.”
Kessman, an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, was at training camp with the Chargers, but was released after their first game. Pineiro was cut by the Colts in late August and signed to the Washington Football team’s practice squad in early September. He was shortly released again.
DL Sheldon Rankins (knee) and TE Trevon Wesco (ankle) didn’t practice for the second straight day. DL Folorunso Fatukasi (back) was limited after being held out of practice on Wednesday. DL John Franklin-Myers (hip), LB Quincy Williams (calf) and OT Morgan Moses (knee) were also limited. LB C.J. Mosley was given a rest day.
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