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Fitzpatrick (Groin) Out 2-3 Weeks for Jets
By Smacktok
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NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports New York Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will miss two to three weeks with a groin injury, and Wednesday's practice board already listed him as a non-participant ahead of Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. NBC Sports Fantasy, Reuters, and CBS Sports Fantasy carried the same timeline overnight into Wednesday as Aaron Glenn addressed the injury room.
Fitzpatrick went down about six snaps into the Jets' Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans when Cam Ward scrambled along the sideline. He did not return. Glenn said Wednesday that Fitzpatrick, Omar Cooper Jr., Kene Nwangwu, and Joseph Ossai are "basically week-to-week," which matches the multi-week window Schultz floated for the starting safety.
Week 2 math without Minkah
Green Bay visits MetLife on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. ET. The Jets are expected to lean on Andre Cisco and Dane Belton at safety with Fitzpatrick sidelined. Glenn pointed to Cisco's experience and Belton's ability to play the big-nickel role Fitzpatrick handled on early downs and in sub packages.
That is a real hit for a secondary that brought Fitzpatrick in as a cornerstone piece after New York spent last season searching for answers in the middle of the field. It is also a green light for Jordan Love to test seams and crossers early if the Jets cannot disguise coverage the same way.
IDP managers should park Fitzpatrick for the next two Sundays unless Friday's designations flip hard. Streaming Cisco or Belton in deep formats is the practical move for one week. DFS builds against Green Bay should bake in fewer free safety mistakes and more middle-of-field opportunities for Love's receivers.
What Glenn actually said
Glenn kept the public language at week-to-week rather than a hard IR stamp. Schultz's two-to-three-week window is the sourced calendar fans should use until the club publishes something firmer. A late-September return would target around Week 4 if everything stays clean and there is no setback in the rehab progression.
Cooper's ankle and Ossai's foot progress are separate tracks worth watching for depth, but the Fitzpatrick note is the one that reshapes the Packers game plan. Check Thursday and Friday participation for Belton and Cisco snap shares, then lock your lineup after the inactive list posts.
Jets fans wanted the new safety healthy for a full September slate. They get Cisco and Belton instead for at least one more home Sunday, with the 2-3 week clock starting from the Week 1 groin tweak.
Two to three weeks. Packers at 1. That is the secondary board.