Jets limping to the finish line as they lose promising rookie for the season with injury

It has been a lost season for the New York Jets and it just got a little worse. Starting left tackle and Jets first round pick Olu Fashanu is headed to IR for the rest of the season with a foot injury head coach Jeff Ulbrich announced on Tuesday. Fashanu avoided an Achilles injury but […]

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New York Jets offensive tackle Olu Fashanu (74) blocks for quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It has been a lost season for the New York Jets and it just got a little worse.

Starting left tackle and Jets first round pick Olu Fashanu is headed to IR for the rest of the season with a foot injury head coach Jeff Ulbrich announced on Tuesday.

Fashanu avoided an Achilles injury but was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and the injury will require surgery. The injury occurred during the Jets 19-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday. He was carted off the field in the fourth quarter after having a great game against the Rams star rookie Jared Verse.

There is no timetable as of yet for Fashanu’s recovery and it likely won’t be known until the surgery occurs. As of now, it looks like it isn’t the worst-case scenario as he avoided a Lis Franc and Achilles injury. Recorvery could take anywhere from 3-12 months

Fashanu started the season slowly, mostly for playing out of position. The Jets tried to use the lifetime left tackle as a Swiss army man, plugging him in at right tackle and right guard, two positions he never played in his football career.

Fashanu has been one of the better tackles in the league since he returned to his natural starting position of left tackle after the injury to Tyron Smith. Fashanu has posted the 24th-best pass blocking grade and 27th-best overall grade in that span. Only 19 qualified tackles have allowed zero sacks since Week 10 and Fashanu has surrendered only one all season.

The Jets will likely lean on veteran backups Max Mitchell and Carter Warren to fill in for the final two games of the season to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blind side. The Jets finish the season at the Buffalo Bills and home against the Miami Dolphins in the final game of the season.

Rodgers has been dealing with a knee injury for most of season but has yet to miss a game or any significant playing time.

At this point, the Jets are simply trying to get to the offseason so the whole organization can regroup and figure out how to move forward.