CHARLOTTE, NC – Haason who?
OK, so maybe that’s overstating it, but Jets defensive end Bakal McDonald shut down Panthers quarterback Jack Plummer on Saturday night, giving hope that the 2023 first-round pick can help fill the void left by Haason Reddick if he’s retained for the season. .
McDonald played in the second quarter of the Jets’ 15-12 victory over Carolina in the second preseason game of the summer.
Jets coach Robert Saleh again opted to rest all of his starters, so there wasn’t much to take from this one that featured seven field goals.
McDonald’s provided one of the famous games of the night.
The Panthers had third-and-12 at their own 28-yard line.
McDonald used his patented spin move to beat Panthers tackle Ricky Lee.
He then wrapped Plummer up and took him to the ground.
The sack was a positive for McDonald, who didn’t have much of a role as a rookie last year.
He played just 16 percent of the defensive snaps after the Jets took him No. 15 overall in the draft.
McDonald managed three sacks in limited playing time.
The Jets need McDonald to take a step forward this offseason after letting top edge rusher Bryce Huff depart in free agency.
Huff led the team with 10 sacks last season.
The Jets also traded John Franklin-Myers, who had 3 ½ sacks last season.
The team acquired Reddick in a trade from the Eagles in the spring, but Reddick has stayed away from the team other than showing up one day for a physical and press conference.
Reddick is seeking a new contract and he requested a trade earlier this week.
The Jets don’t want to negotiate with Reddick unless he shows up in training camp.
So far, he has not cut it despite being fined $50,000 a day.
That trade request could be in the offing until this season.
The Jets open the season on Sept. 9 against the 49ers, leaving three weeks to figure out how to make Reddick happy.
McDonald has had a good training camp.
Coaches praised him for getting stronger even though he didn’t increase his 235-pound weight.
In the Jets’ first preseason game against the Commanders, McDonald used a spin move to beat Washington quarterback Jeff Driskell, but he drew a flag for roughing the passer.
Other than McDonald’s big play, there is nothing memorable about this game.
Forget about playing Aaron Rodgers, the Jets didn’t even play backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor on Saturday.
Freshman Andrew Peasley started the game and played the first half before Adrian Martinez took over in the second half.
The two quarterbacks are fighting for the No. 1 job. 3 and the possibility of a place in the training squad.
Peasley completed 7-of-11 passes for 33 yards and led the Jets on a 17-play drive that resulted in a field goal before halftime to tie the game at 3-3.
Rookie running back Braelon Allen had eight carries for 27 yards and two catches for 12 yards.
Fellow rookie Isaiah Davis had four rushes for 14 yards and one catch for no yards.
Rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley had two catches for 10 yards, one coming on a fourth-and-1 play.
The Jets hit five field goals — four from backup kicker Austin Seibert — in the win.
The Jets will close out the preseason against the Giants next Saturday.
They’ve left the door open for Rodgers to play in the game, so it could be even more interesting.
