When it comes to a sport as physical as football, injuries are an unfortunate inevitability, even in practice. The New York Jets were bit by the injury bug early this year with three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams missing 1-2 weeks with a strained left calf and rookie tight end Mason Taylor hurting his ankle. This was on top of the lingering injury to pass rusher Jermaine Johnson that ended his 2024 season early.
But these issues are all finally coming to an end and just in time for the Jets to make their final preparations towards the start of the regular season. Jets insider for ESPN Rich Cimini confirmed on Tuesday that Williams and Taylor were both back at practice and that Johnson was activated from the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list and eligible to practice. He was also seen warming up.
And it looks like TE Mason Taylor (ankle) is back. He’s in positionals. https://t.co/FLbkQniaaY
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 12, 2025
If the Jets are going to reverse course from the disastrous two-year Aaron Rodgers era, they’re going to need to be at full strength when it comes to roster health, especially on defense. There’s a lot of hype around new quarterback Justin Fields, and deservedly so. He’s an exciting young player with the potential to become a franchise quarterback, and early reports from Tuesday’s practice have been encouraging.
Justin Fields 7o7. He’s 4 of 4 passing: he just threw a PRETTY pass on wheel route to Braelon Allen. Perfect ball. Nice catch from Allen, too.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) August 12, 2025
Thing about Braelon is that he’s not just a bruiser. He has speed & catching ability, too. Just a really, really good player. #Jets
But his development is still going to be the Jets' biggest challenge in 2025. Fields may have looked good in the Jets' preseason Week 1 win over the Packers, but that was just one series. The most likely outcome is that he remains an inconsistent quarterback, which means the Jets will need a dominant defense if they’re going to be successful in head coach Aaron Glenn’s debut season.
With Williams and Johnson back in practice, that likelihood increases dramatically. Aaron Glenn made a name for himself as a defensive guru while in Detroit, and he’ll have access to far more star-power in New York than he ever had with the Lions.
Barring any catastrophic injuries to key players, 2025 is shaping up to be a fun season for Gang Green.