CJ Mosley will miss his fourth straight game Sunday when the Jets play the Colts.
The veteran linebacker revealed Friday that he has a herniated disc in his neck. He hopes to return within two weeks of the Jets' bye, but he doesn't even know if he'll be 100 percent by then.
Mosley, 32, said he definitely wants to return to the Jets.
“That's definitely the goal,” Mosley said. “I'm in a position where I've played a lot of football. If I'm absent this time, it won't hurt as much as some other guy who might need this opportunity. At the end of the day, it's about safety. At home. I'm Clint Mosley. I'm not a football player.
Mosley said the birth of his daughter last month and the return of football to his home taught him the value of life. A week after she was born he injured his neck.
“My neck was fine for a whole week, and then every time I looked down, it hurt,” Mosley said. “It puts things in perspective. There's a lot of life after football. I want to make sure I'm 100 percent when I'm done playing.”
The injury was strange.
Mosley had just finished giving a pregame speech to his team on the field in New England on Oct. 27. That's how he felt on his way to warm up with the other linebackers.
“I felt a burning sensation on the back of my neck, and then everything else was frozen,” Mosley said.
Doctors told Mosley that he did not need surgery. Rest and physical therapy should resolve the issue. Mosley said she received an epidural last week and a facet block injection this week.
It's been a tough season for Mosley, who has also been plagued by a toe injury. He only appeared in four games due to injury.
“It was disappointing from my perspective,” Mosley said of this season. “Win or lose, I want to be on the field. I want to be out there supporting, producing and doing what I can. This sport is all about production. There's only so much you can do from the sidelines. After a while , it feels like the coach is talking.”
LT Tyron Smith (neck) will be absent and rookie Olu Fashanu will take his place. Smith could be placed on injured reserve, which would mean he would miss at least four games.
OL Jake Hanson (hamstring) was also ruled out.
WR Davante Adams (wrist, illness) and DT Solomon Thomas (knee) are listed as questionable.
S Chuck Clark (ankle) said he expects to return from injured reserve after missing the past four games.
Anders Karlsson was promoted from the practice squad and has played in the Jets' last four games, joining Greg Zuerlein (injured reserve), Riley Patterson (released) and Spencer Schrader (signed from the Jets' practice squad by the Chiefs on Thursday). He becomes the fourth kicker. .
“We're confident Anders can get it done,” head coach Jeff Ulbrich said after Karlsson's first practice as a starter. “It was a windy day and a challenging day in many ways, but he did a good job.”
“It's not ideal by any means,” Ulbrich said of the kicker merry-go-round.
He declined to discuss “roster management” that led to the Jets losing Shrader by not signing him earlier this week.
Karlsson, a 2023 draft pick of the Packers, started two games for the 49ers earlier this season.
—Ryan Dunleavy contributed to this report
