WR Santonio Holmes Is Out For The Season

When it rains, it pours. Today, a report by Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News indicates that WR Santonio Holmes will be declared out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury. The report says that the team is currently waiting on confirmation before the release the news (UPDATE: THE REPORT WAS CONFIRMED AND HOLMES HAS BEEN PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE), however the organization increasingly feels that he will be out for the season. If true, the team has lost its best defensive player as well as its best offensive playmaker. The New York Jets are counting on WR Stephen Hill and TE Dustin Keller to heal up quickly, or it will be out its top two receivers and top tight end, thus fully neutering the already struggling offense.

It's difficult to say how much blame we can attribute to Rex Ryan, Tony Sparano, or Mark Sanchez for the offensive crumbling that we're about to witness. Nobody can predict this many devastating injuries to a team. However, if you're looking for a scapegoat, and I'm sure everyone is, I'd say the only answer is General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. We're about to see just how little depth this team really has. Part of me wants to say that Tannenbaum will get a pass this season because of how many of our best players have been knocked out by injury (almost entirely non-contact). Knowing our front office, he likely will, as the team doesn't like to eat contracts by coaching and front office personnel. But most of me says that he should be the immediate goat for the season due to his inability to get the team any semblance of depth at, truthfully, any position on the entire roster.

Now, who will the Jets sign at wide receiver? Mr. Mehta is very insistent that the team thought Plaxico Burress hampered the locker room and Sanchez, so they likely won't sign him. I'd also be surprised to see Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens, for the same reasons. So, the best case solution would be to trade for a young player with upside. Now is not the time to sign a washed up veteran. The problem is, I can't think of anyone that would be good enough (say, Percy Harvin) to make a difference that wouldn't cost a fortune. Maybe James Jones, from the Green Bay Packers? And it's not like we can really afford to trade players. Draft picks are all we have. First of all, Jordan White will likely be re-signed, this time to the active roster. Possibly Eron Riley. Hah, maybe Joe McKnight will be converted to wide receiver. Maybe Antonio Cromartie, who is now our best receiver anyway, will play some offense. Tim Tebow, perhaps? Is Wayne Chrebet still available? Keyshawn, come home baby. We need you. Please, please, for the love of all that is holy, do not ask that we trade for Braylon Edwards. That ship has sailed a long time ago, and he is not coming back.

Probably the most realistic thing to happen is that we don't sign anyone huge, and Stephen Hill, Jeremy Kerley, Chaz Schilens, and Patrick Turner are all going to need to step up HUGE. They will need to put their big boy pants on and put the team on their back. Schilens has been fine in limited duty so far. Put Hill and Schilens on the outside, two big vertical threats, with Kerley in the slot. Hill and Kerley are our future anyway, it's important to get them as much experience as we can. Let's see what our other guys are capable of. An aging veteran will not help this team, especially in the long run. Plax, T.O., Ocho, I do not want any of them. We're about to go into full rebuild mode, let's not set the locker room back any further. They will not help our quarterback, rushing, or pass rushing woes. Let's get a young guy or two, but roll with the guys we have and let them get experience.

But losing two marquee players in back-to-back weeks? I'm really starting to believe in this curse. Maybe this was all some sort of brilliant plan to get rid of all of our receivers by disguise of injury and bring back the single-wing led by Tebow! I'm just joking. Maybe.

Once we know for sure what the deal is we will post an update.

Update: We are receiving word that Holmes is suffering from a "lisfranc injury," a devastating foot injury. Basically it involves the toes, metatarsals, being separated or fractured individually from the main foot bone, called the tarsus. From what I understand, and keep in mind I'm a law student not a med student, it's extraordinarily painful as it's literally your toes being broken from the connecting bone. It's a very difficult rehab and about 99.99% Holmes is out for the year. This is bad news.

Update: The team has confirmed that Holmes is, in fact, out for the season with a lisfranc injury to his left foot. He has been placed on injured reserve and replaced by WR Jason Hill.