The hits keep coming for the New York Jets.
Gang Green announced on social media that they have placed pass rusher Will McDonald, rookie linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, and defensive tackle Jay Tufele on injured reserve. With only two games left in the 2025 regular season, that means all of those players are now out for the rest of the season.
Any player placed on IR is forced to miss a minimum of four games.
Tanking Allegations Aren’t Going Away Any Time Soon
This definitely won’t stop the tanking allegations.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY accused the Jets of tanking, trying to lose on purpose, last week.
He gave a New York Giants example showing that they were still fighting while taking indirect shots at the Jets.
“Like from the New York Giants’ perspective, right now they’re slated to pick No. 1 overall, they have players on the field that they’re trying to win with. Mike Kafka is the interim head coach, and Charlie Bullen is the interim defensive coordinator — those guys are trying to show that they’re deserving of [their jobs]. Jaxson Dart is out there trying to show he is a franchise quarterback. Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, the Giants don’t have all these guys on injured reserve, they are not sitting their starters to lose games … They’re trying to win,” Hughes explained on “Jets Final Drive.”
The Jets now have 18 players on the season-ending injured reserve list in 2025, per the team’s website.
Getting Into the Nitty Gritty Details on Players Lost
The Jets will be operating without a full deck for their scheduled rematch with the New England Patriots.
Last week against the New Orleans Saints, Tufele suffered an ankle injury. He had to be carted to the locker room.
“In his first season with the Green & White, the fifth-year veteran appeared in 12 games (2 starts) and totaled 12 tackles. Tufele, who was drafted by Jacksonville in 2021 and then spent 4 seasons in Cincinnati, played 230 defensive snaps and 62 special teams snaps this season,” Jets editorial contributor Susanna Weir wrote in a press release.
Mauigoa was a pleasant surprise this season. With how the linebacker room was constructed, it was unclear how he would get PT in year one. However, the injury bug provided plenty of meat on the bone in 2025.
Mauigoa, 22, entered the league as the No. 162 overall pick in the fifth round. The former Miami product appeared in 12 games and made eight starts. He collected 45 tackles this season.
McDonald was the biggest loss for the Jets in this news dump. He leads the team in sacks (8), the next closest player has half his total (Jowon Briggs, four). That means McDonald will end the season with eight sacks.
Only four players in Jets history have recorded back-to-back double-digit sack seasons, per The Football Database. That group features Joe Klecko, who did it in 1980 (10.5) and 1981 (20.5). Mark Gastineau, who did it in 1983 (19) and 1984 (22). John Abraham, who did it in 2001 (13) and 2002 (10). Finally, Shaun Ellis accomplished that feat in 2003 (12.5) and 2004 (11).
That is an elite group.
McDonald had a chance to join it, but with him out for the season, that dream is dead.
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