The Jets’ Week 4 injury report is not looking great heading into Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. Running back Breece Hall, who left the Week 3 loss to the Lions early with a quad injury, has now missed both Wednesday and Thursday practices. Wide receiver AD Mitchell (finger), tight end Mason Taylor (thumb), and guard Dylan Parham (knee) also sat out both sessions.

Perhaps most concerning is the trajectory of edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare (knee), who was limited on Wednesday but did not practice Thursday. That puts his availability for Sunday in serious question.

The one piece of genuinely good news: safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was limited Wednesday, was a full participant Thursday and has confirmed he will play Sunday against Chicago.

What does the offense look like without Breece Hall?

This is the big question. New York ran the football well in Week 1 against the Titans but struggled in that department in Week 2 against the Packers and Week 3 against the Lions. Can they get the ground game going against Chicago? There should be opportunities. The Jets only rush for 92 yards per game on average and the Bears have allowed 117 a game. They need to make it count. 

Keke Nwangwu, who figures to be the Jets’ third back this week if Hall does not suit up, has been a full participant in practice both days. Nwangwu is primarily a special teams contributor in the return game, but might end up taking a few snaps in the backfield. The rushing attack as a whole needs to find some consistency. He’s been on the Jets injury report as of late, but certainly looks better this week.

With Mitchell out another week, somebody in the passing game besides Garrett Wilson needs to step up. That directly points to tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who put up over 100 yards last week and looks like a legitimate weapon. Maybe Sterling Shepard gets an expanded role after flashing a few nice things against Detroit. Isaiah Williams also needs to continue doing his thing, stretching the field vertically and making explosive plays.

Will McDonald IV needs to seize his opportunity

If Enagbare cannot go Sunday, the door swings wide open for Will McDonald IV. And look, McDonald needs it. The Jets’ first-round pick from the 2023 draft has been off to a tough start this season. Enagbare and David Bailey have outperformed him to begin this season. Joseph Ossai was also brought in as a free agent by this regime that did not draft McDonald IV. He needs to get it going. 

This is a perfect opportunity for McDonald to get more snaps and show what he can do getting after the quarterback. At some point, a first-round edge rusher has to produce consistently. Sunday could be the spark.

Can the defense get back on track?

The return of Fitzpatrick is a big deal. The question now is whether the Jets can get back to the strong defensive football they played in Weeks 1 and 2 before things unraveled against Detroit in Week 3. The Bears have strong weapons as well in Kalif Raymond, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland. It will present a challenge to this Jets secondary, which makes it a perfect time to have Fitzpatrick back in the fold. 

On top of that, we still do not know who the Bears’ quarterback will be. Coach Ben Johnson is keeping that close to the vest, saying the team has already made its decision. It will be either Case Keenum or Tyson Bajent. Based on Johnson’s comments earlier this week, it sounds like it could be Bajent, but nothing has been confirmed.

Regardless of who lines up under center for Chicago, the Jets have some very key players on their injury report who look like they are going to miss this football game. Sunday is a crucial Week 4 matchup for a team trying to claw its way back to .500 at 2-2. They have to find a way to pull out a win in Soldier Field on Sunday if this season is to mean anything of consequence. 

Aaron Glenn said they would find a way to start winning these games, let’s see if he can show it on Sunday.