As the great Freddie Mercury uttered so many times, “Another One Bites the Dust.”
On Friday, the New York Jets placed edge Will McDonald on season-ending injured reserve, along with rookie linebacker Kirk Mauigoa and veteran defensive tackle Jay Tufele, per the team.
McDonald, 26, is dealing with a knee injury. He finishes the season with 8 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss, and 30 combined tackles (19 solo) in 15 games.
Wildly, 6 of his 8 sacks were snagged in just two games—earlier in the season against the Cleveland Browns, when he sacked the quarterback four times, and two against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opener. He, of course, also scored a touchdown after blocking a critical kick in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers.
Mauigoa finishes his season thanks to a shoulder injury.
After seeing an extended look at linebacker during the meat of the season, the rookie fell out of favor a bit on the defensive side of the ball. The former Miami Hurricanes defender concludes his rookie season with 45 combined tackles (16 solo) in 12 games (8 started).
Tufele, the final man of this trio, hits the season-ending shelf with an ankle injury.
Despite showing encouraging signs in July and August, often starting alongside Quinnen Williams as the 1-tech, the big man mainly produced underwhelming results. The fifth-year pro finishes his first season in New Jersey with 12 tackles (5 solo) in 12 games.
The New York Jets’ injured reserve list just moved from loaded to loaded beyond belief. Aaron Glenn and company play out the string with the New England Patriots at home this Sunday, before closing Highmark Stadium in a bout against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18.