With Kris Boyd on injured reserve due to his season-ending shoulder injury, the Jets had an open spot on the 53-man roster, and it looked like safety Jarius Monroe might get his chance to step in. And he did at the game against the Eagles. But this was before the injury bug bit him hard. He had been putting together one of his best performances for the Jets, standing out in training camp and even in the matchup against the Eagles. However, in the third quarter, Monroe went down after a tackle.

As he lay there in pain, trainers quickly rushed over to check on him. He appeared to have injured his left foot or lower leg. As per sources, it could be a hamstring issue. The team is yet to share all the details. “#Jets S Jarius Monroe went straight to the locker room after going down after a tackle. Trainers were looking at his lower left leg/calf. Monroe was able to walk off on his own,” Dennis Waszak Jr. reported on X. Others took to social media to express their concerns.

While the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, the team has yet to share the official update. However, this doesn’t appear to look good for Monroe or the team, which struggled to maintain its pace.

The Eagles had the upper hand for most of the time. In the fourth quarter, the team had a 16-point lead over the Jets. Brady Cook got the start under center for the Jets and delivered a mixed showing. He went 13-of-19 for 99 yards and an interception. Cook was replaced by Adrian Martinez, who handled the second half and struggled with turnovers, giving the ball away twice in the third quarter as the Eagles stretched their halftime edge from three points to 13.

Coach Aaron Glenn had most of his starters sit out the game, as the Jets were handed a 19-17 loss. The team’s struggles on offense were evident. This comes after the Jets faced a 31-12 loss to the Giants in the preseason game 2. Both Glenn and QB Justin Fields had pointed out the issues. Whether it was the starting offense, second-team offense, or the third-team offense, Glenn was quite upset over the mistakes. He didn’t hesitate to call out the team and said, “We were sloppy, and the guys know that.” Luckily, the Jets dodged the injury concerns except for one, Monroe.

Jarius Monroe wouldn’t be here without his perseverance and faith in himself

It took him quite a long time to reach where he is today. After going undrafted, the former Tulane player was acquired by the Jets earlier in May. However, he was waived two months later. While he was later re-signed to the practice squad, it wasn’t until December that he got to the active roster. His selection was soon followed by praise and acknowledgment of being a “phenomenal player” from former Jets player Aaron Rodgers.

It was Monroe’s confidence and faith in himself that carried him through the tough process of not being drafted. He had to earn his way onto the field at Tulane. He now looks to do the same in his pro career with that same mindset. Rather than trying to prove people wrong, Monroe thinks more about proving himself right.

And he credits his time at Tulane for teaching him to face the tough phases of life, overcome them, to achieve success. “My time at Tulane is probably the one thing that made me ready for all of this. Coming out and having to be the guy who didn’t start originally—thought I was going to get the job, didn’t get the job, then having to grind from the bottom. I always have,” Monroe shared.

So, his selection by the Jets didn’t come as a surprise to him. Now, he’ll need to lean on that same motivation and energy as he works to get back into action for the Jets’ next game.