Veteran offensive guard Kelechi Osemele indeed expects the New York Jets to cut him during this upcoming offseason.
There is plenty of attention on New York Jets offensive guard Kelechi Osemele as of late. Unfortunately, none are because of what he’s done on the field.
The eight-year pro was planning to undergo season-ending surgery for a lingering shoulder injury. However, the team hasn’t approved it. It’s thus begun an ongoing stalemate between the two parties, with Osemele refusing to practice. The two-time Pro Bowl guard, therefore, has filed a grievance with the Jets and expects them to release him this coming offseason.
Kelechi Osemele says he’s filed a grievance with the Jets and he plans to have surgery Friday, with or without the Jets’ authorization. Osemele says he’s still getting fined every day by the team. Also, he “absolutely” expects the Jets to cut him this offseason.
— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) October 23, 2019
New York is fining Osemele for what’s being determined as “conduct detrimental to the team.” They’re fining him the maximum amount for that penalty (a full game check) per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. That comes out to $579,411.77 each week.
Osemele hasn’t practiced since landing on the injury report on Oct. 2. The Jets have since fielded Alex Lewis at the left guard spot. Lewis started in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the win over the Dallas Cowboys, and then in the most recent loss to the New England Patriots.
The Jets acquired Osemele and a sixth-round pick from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a fifth-round selection this past March. He’s played in three games in 2019, taking part in the losses to the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and New England Patriots.
New York is coming off arguably its worse performance of the 2019 season thus far. On Monday night, the undefeated Patriots soundly defeated them by a score of 33-0. They head into their Week 8 matchup on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars sporting a 1-5 record.
