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Antonio Cromartie has sprained knee, avoids torn ACL

ByNathaniel Reeves|
Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie (31) lays on the ground in pain after injuring his knee during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie (31) lays on the ground in pain after injuring his knee during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets can feel relieved that cornerback Antonio Cromartie avoided a major injury and could be back for next week.

While there was no official diagnosis available right away for New York Jets starting cornerback Antonio Cromartie after he went down with an apparent knee injury on Sunday, it wasn’t hard to blame the team for assuming the worst.

Cromartie had all the common signs of suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during New York’s 31-10 romp over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The 31-year-old was carted off the field in the second quarter on a non-contact play, and many teammates feared that the injury could end Cromartie’s season.

However, the Jets got some good news on Monday morning following an MRI. Cromartie suffered a sprained left knee and could even play next Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

That comes as a huge relief to the Jets, as Cromartie is a very important piece of their defense this season and possibly beyond. Cromartie played for the Jets from 2010-2013 before spending last year with the Arizona Cardinals, then came back to New York on a four-year, $32 million contract signed during the offseason.

At 31 years old, Cromartie won’t be at the peak of his abilities anymore, but is still an effective enough cornerback. Cromartie excelled as the No. 2 corner in Arizona last year opposite Patrick Peterson, and will be in a similar role this season with Darrelle Revis and Buster Skrine taking on top opposing receivers.

Fortunately, the Jets can think about replacing Cromartie in the short-term rather for the entire season, provided he is not back at full capacity by Monday. Second-year undrafted free agent Marcus Williams replaced Cromartie on Sunday, recording an interception and three pass breakups.

New York looked very good defensively in the opener under new head coach Todd Bowles and has the secondary depth to survive without Cromartie. However, Indianapolis will provide a much stiffer test than Cleveland, and the Jets would benefit from having their secondary at full strength against Andrew Luck and company.

For Cromartie, the bigger concern is that the toll of multiple injuries begins to accumulate, as he has also dealt with ankle and hip problems over the past couple of years. Only $7 million of Cromartie’s contract is guaranteed, so he will have to be at his best to play out the remaining years of his deal.

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