New York Jets OLB Quinton Coples suffers broken ankle. Could avoid surgery
By Jason Marcum
New York Jets outside linebacker Quinton Coples could miss at least the next month of football-related activities after suffering a hairline fracture of his ankle during the Jets’ preseason win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN New York. Despite the “fracture” classification, the injury is not expected to require surgery.
The injury occurred when Coples rushed Jacksonville quarterback Chad Henne from the blind side and nearly causing a fumble in the second quarter, Coples limped off the field and was attended to by trainers on the sideline.
If the 3-4 week timeline holds true, it means he could miss the first two games of the season, considering the Jets play the New England Patriots on the Thursday of Week 2.
This is terrible news for the Jets’ slim hopes of even being relevant this year, as their first two games feature the Pats and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and an 0-2 start to the season has proven to be fatal the majority of the time for NFL teams. This could be the start of a long and tumultuous season for the Jets, who were expecting big things from Coples after the 16th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft registered 30 tackles and 5.5 sacks.