Jets rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq to miss time after hernia setback
Jets tight end Kenyon Sadiq, the 16th overall pick, suffered a setback from May hernia surgery and will miss training camp time. Coach Aaron Glenn said Sadiq will be ready for Week 1 but did not specify how long he will be sidelined. Sadiq had participated in the first three camp practices before the setback.
Jets tight end Kenyon Sadiq, drafted 16th overall, is sidelined from training camp after suffering a setback from hernia surgery performed in May. Coach Aaron Glenn announced on Tuesday that Sadiq suffered a "little setback" and will be out "a little bit," without providing a timetable for his return.
Sadiq had participated in the first three practices of training camp before the setback emerged. He took a scheduled rest day on Monday, which followed a team day off, and did not practice on Tuesday.
Glenn confirmed the setback is hernia-related and explained that doctors typically perform bilateral hernia surgery. Sadiq is not expected to require another surgery, according to the coach. Glenn expressed confidence that Sadiq will be ready for Week 1, though he declined to specify a return date. "I'm not real worried," Glenn said, adding that he wants to "make sure that I make the right decision and make sure that I take care of him so he can be ready for the season."
The Jets were aware of Sadiq's hernia injury prior to drafting him, suggesting the organization factored the injury risk into its evaluation. During his final season at Oregon, Sadiq played through the injury for part of the year and missed only one game, indicating the condition may not be career-threatening.
Sadiq offers a rare speed dimension for the Jets' passing game. His 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the February scouting combine broke a 20-year-old tight end record set by Vernon Davis in 2006. The coaching staff plans to use Sadiq in multiple-tight-end packages to create mismatches. He finished last season at Oregon with 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns.
Lost reps during recovery will set him behind in his adjustment to the NFL. Glenn acknowledged that "Sadiq will be way behind when he returns due to missed reps in training camp and offseason work." The Jets have depth at the position with Mason Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert, and Jelani Woods available. Sadiq said Saturday after the third camp practice that he already felt "better than last season, which is good."
The Jets also are managing another injury during camp: rookie cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, a second-round pick, has not practiced due to a strained calf and will be out at least this week.
Sadiq was drafted 16th overall and has a rare 4.39-second 40-yard dash time that broke Vernon Davis's 20-year tight end combine record, but missed camp reps during recovery will set him behind his peers.
Sadiq will miss critical early camp reps and development time, though Glenn's stated confidence in Week 1 readiness suggests a recovery measured in days rather than weeks. What to watch is whether his absence from practice limits the coaching staff's ability to build chemistry in multiple-tight-end sets, and whether his return to practice happens before preseason games sharpen his timing with the offense.
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