Morgan

Moses

The Patriots already lost starting left guard Jared Wilson to an injury on the first drive, so this would be a big blow to their offensive line. The Bengals have been able to get pressure on Drake Maye often to start this game, and that could continue if Moses can’t come back.

The last thing Drake Maye needed was to lose one of the bookends to his offensive line. Moses was brought in as a free agent to help improve one of the league’s worst lines in 2024. Though the veteran tackle is a few years past his prime, he was still set to be a stabilizing force for the unit. Losing Moses would be a tough blow for a New England offense that already came out flat-footed in Week 1.

According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Moses had surgery to help correct a knee injury he suffered in Week 3 of last season. Moses missed two games as a result of the injury, but played through it for much of the year. In March, it was reported that Moses “was given a clean bill of health” by the Jets shortly before the team allowed him to hit free agency. Moses signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Patriots this offseason and said he’s “just pacing things out” when asked about his limited participation in OTAs thus far. For now, this seems like a non-issue as training camp nears, but it will be something worth monitoring if the 34-year-old continues to be limited late into the summer.

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the deal is worth up to $28.5 million. The Patriots fielded arguably the worst offensive line in the league last year, so it’s no surprise to see them spending big to improve that unit. Protecting Drake Maye has to be a priority for the rebuilding Pats this offseason. Even at 34 years old, Moses is a solid right tackle option for a team desperate to improve both bookends to their offensive line.

As Garafolo notes, Moses played through a Grade 2 MCL sprain last year. Moses missed some time early in the year because of the injury but ultimately pushed through it for much of the remainder of the season. Moses will officially be a free agent next week unless the Jets make a last-second move to keep him around. Even at 34 years old, the career right tackle should have some suitors on the open market.

The Jets face a Dolphins team that can get into the playoffs with a win and a Broncos loss to the Chiefs. Aaron Rodgers is also making what may be the final start of his career, and only one touchdown pass shy of 500 for his career. It’s the end of another tumultuous season for the Jets, who are looking at a number of major changes this offseason.

Moses in Week 3 went down with a knee injury and is expected to miss some time, though he avoided injured reserve. Losing Moses is a blow for a Jets offensive line that Pro Football Focus grades as the league’s 19th best pass-blocking unit.

Moses landing on injured reserve would require him to miss a minimum of four games. The Jets’ decision not to place on him IR suggests he can return in less time, which was hinted at over the weekend when the team said he would miss 2-4 weeks. Moses will miss Week 4’s contest against the Broncos and is likely a long shot to return in Week 5 against the Vikings. A Week 6 return against division rival Buffalo could be in the cards for what will prove to be an important game early in the season.

It’s not a bad outcome after veteran Moses went down in a heap Thursday evening, though he could still end up a candidate for injured reserve. The Jets at least have a viable backup plan in rookie first-rounder Olu Fashanu, but it’s never good to have to dip into your critical depth this early in the season.

Moses got rolled up early in the fourth quarter and went down in a heap of pain. He did make his way to the sideline unassisted before a brief stop in the blue tent. He then headed to the locker room and was ruled out a bit later. An MRI is undoubtedly coming. First-round rookie Olu Fashanu is the next man up.