Kris Jenkins Tears Left ACL Again, Career May Be Over

The New York Jets star defense took another hit last night, as DT Kris Jenkins tore his left ACL on the sixth defensive snap. It's the same knee that required reconstructive surgery last October, putting Jenkins' career in jeopardy. His season is over, and his career may be as well.

"Obviously, that's going to be a huge blow for us," coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday. "Again, we're about the team, but I just feel really bad for Kris."

Jenkins, 31, a former Pro Bowl selection, was hurt in a first-quarter pile-up. He left the game and didn't return. After the game, the Jets anticipated the possibility of a season-ending injury, with one source telling ESPNNewYork.com there was a 50-50 chance it would end his season.

Jenkins went for an MRI exam Tuesday morning, confirming the tear. The previous injury to that knee also involved the ACL. It was repaired in October with a graft, using a tendon from his hamstring. He made a strong recovery, dropped more than 30 pounds and reported to training camp at 359 pounds.

"I just spoke to Kris and he's down, but I think he'll battle and come through this," Ryan said. "But, it's a big loss."

Ryan said surgery had not been scheduled yet.

Jenkins was looking forward to a bounce-back season, but it lasted only six plays.

Ryan said Jenkins hadn't spoken to him about his long-term plans.

"I think he's going to get away from it, and then he'll make a decision," Ryan said.

Jenkins, one of the team's leaders, entered training camp in terrific shape after using a so-called cookie diet to help win a weight-loss competition among himself, Ryan and right tackle Damien Woody. He was eased back into the lineup in the preseason, and said he felt 100 percent entering the regular season.

"We lost a heck of a football player," Ryan said. "The thing is, we did overcome him last year. Our defense rallied around the guys who were out there."

A year ago, the Jets compensated for Jenkins' absence and still finished No. 1 in overall defense. Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito stepped in and were solid in Jenkins' place.

Both players had good games Monday night, but the Jets are not particularly deep on the line. But now their depth will be tested. In the preseason, the Jets lost defensive end Ropati Pitoitua (Achilles tendon). Ryan said the Jets might explore bringing in a veteran to help.

"We'll consider that, for sure," Ryan said.

Jenkins, in his third season with the Jets, also tore the ACL in his right knee in 2005 while with Carolina.

"He's got a physical mismatch against anybody he plays against," Ryan said. "There's not too many people walking the face of the Earth that are like that, just a big, powerful man that's athletic, who's hard to block one-on-one. Impossible, really."

This is just outright unfair, to say the least. Not even nine months ago the big fella was starting rehab on the same injury. This is also one of the toughest injuries to rehab because most of it is trusting the ability of the reconstructed knee once it has been through enough rehabilitation.

This will now fuel the speculation on what the Jets will do to replace him, with Albert Haynesworth's name now entering the fray; however, Haynesworth probably is not a good fit for the Jets because he has already been fighting with Coach Mike Shanahan about not wanting to play the nose tackle position in the 3-4 defense, which is exactly what he would be doing with the Jets.

But now this big injury begs the question: will Vernon Gholston now play a bigger role in the Jets defense? Now that the Jets need more defensive line depth, Gholston at his new defensive end position could become a key component to the Jets defense for the rest of the season.

The Jets did just fine against the run last night without Jenkins, as Baltimore finished with 35 rushes for just 49 yards (1.4-yards per carry). Even last season when the Jets were without Jenkins, the jumped up to finish sixth in rushing defense as he missed the last ten games of the season.

I do think this year is a little different, though, in the fact that the line depth is thinner this season than it was last season for Gang Green, but I think Rex Ryan can figure anything out on defense and Jets fans must have faith in the best defensive mind in the game.