Jets' Max Mitchell on non-football injury list, out for year

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets rookie offensive tackle Max Mitchell was placed on the non-football injury list Wednesday and will miss the rest of the season.

Coach Robert Saleh declined to provide details on Mitchell's situation as the Jets began practice preparations for their game Sunday against the AFC East-rival Buffalo Bills.

“I'm not going to get into specifics right now,” Saleh said. “There's just a lot of things that we're trying to sort out.”

Mitchell was a fourth-round pick out of Louisiana in April and started the first four games at right tackle. He injured a knee in Week 4 at Pittsburgh and was placed on injured reserve. He was activated two weeks ago and played seven snaps on special teams against Chicago before getting the start last Sunday at Minnesota.

But Mitchell played just 25 snaps on offense before being benched in favor of George Fant, who'll be the starter at right tackle moving forward. Saleh said veteran Mike Remmers will serve as Fant's primary backup.

The Jets also signed offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to the active roster from the practice squad. Duvernay-Tardif re-signed with the Jets last month after stepping away from football during the offseason to focus on working on his medical residency program at a Montreal-area hospital.

New York also signed offensive lineman Sam Schlueter to the practice squad. The undrafted rookie from Minnesota was with San Francisco during training camp and was waived with an injury settlement from the 49ers’ injured reserve list in August.

It has been a rough season for the Jets' offensive tackles.

Mekhi Becton, the projected starter at right tackle during the offseason, was lost for the year with a knee injury during training camp. That prompted New York to sign Duane Brown, who moved into the left tackle spot and slid Fant to the right side.

But Brown injured a shoulder and missed the first four games while on IR. Fant started in Brown's place for three games before injuring a knee and being placed on IR; he returned last Sunday.

With all the injuries, Alijah Vera-Tucker — normally a guard — started one game at left tackle, then slid over to right tackle and played three games there before being lost for the season with a torn triceps.

Cedric Ogbuehi stepped in and started the next four games at right tackle before he injured his groin and was placed on IR.

Saleh said the Jets are also dealing with a flu bug in the locker room, with Fant, wide receiver Corey Davis, cornerback D.J. Reed and defensive lineman Micheal Clemons sitting out practice Wednesday.

“Hopefully we'll get them back tomorrow,” Saleh said.

NOTES: Brown, S Lamarcus Joyner and S Ashtyn Davis were expected to be limited at practice. Brown and Joyner were getting veteran rest days. ... Saleh said RB Michael Carter, who missed last Sunday's game with a sprained lower ankle, would fully participate.

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