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Marcus Gilchrist left today’s game with an apparent serious injury. Todd Bowles confirmed in his postgame interview that it will end Gilchrist’s season.
Patella tendon tear for Marcus Gilchrist, per Bowles. He's done for year #Jets
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) December 12, 2016
This is a tough break for Gilchrist. Nobody wants to see a player suffer such a serious injury so late in the season. His offseason will presumably now be dedicated to rehab at least partially.
From an on the field standpoint, this likely means more playing time for younger safeties like Rontez Miles and Doug Middleton. With the team out of the Playoff race and in evaluation mode, it seems like this might have been the plan anyway.
Gilchrist’s 2017 cap number is over $7.3 million. The Jets could save $4.6 million by cutting him. That seemed like a real possibility given the rough year Gilchrist has had in 2016. This injury might make it even more likely the Jets will move on from one of their starting safeties.