Jets lose safety Leonhard for season with leg injury has 2 comments

Dec 4th 2010, 01:26 | FFN-Score: 39 points

New York Jets safety Jim Leonhard has a broken right leg that will require surgery and sideline him for the rest of the season, NFL Network and Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported.

The team confirmed the injury later Friday, three days before New York plays the AFC East rival New England Patriots on Monday night.

Leonhard has a fractured tibia that will be operated on Friday night at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The team said it wouldn't have an update on his status until after the surgery.

Leonhard, who calls the defensive signals in the Jets' secondary, was injured during team drills -- which are closed to the media -- and carted from the field. The team said Leonhard had no damage to his fibula, ankle or knee.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said earlier in the day that Leonhard had a "severe shin injury" and wouldn't play in New York's Monday night game at New England.

"That was a huge blow to us," Ryan said. "He's a huge part of what we do."

At the time of his news conference, Ryan said he was unsure of the extent of the injury, although he assumed there was a break, "but I don't know. I just know it's a severe injury."

"We feel sorry for Jim, we feel terrible for Jim," Ryan said. "But we don't feel sorry for ourselves. We know it's a big loss, but we'll be ready to move on on Monday without him."

Eric Smith will replace Leonhard as the starting safety opposite Brodney Pool when the Jets (9-2) and Patriots (9-2) play for first place in the AFC East and the top record in the conference.

Leonhard was hurt when he collided with wide receiver Patrick Turner as the two went up for a ball late in practice, the Jets' last full session before their game at Foxborough.

"I just knew we ran into each other and he was in pain," Turner said. "He was just grabbing his shin."

Turner and other Jets said there was nothing extraordinary about the play to where they believed Leonhard was seriously hurt.

"It wasn't the hardest collision," Turner said.

Said safety James Ihedigbo: "It was one of those collisions where you're like, 'OK, he'll probably pop right back up. He's a tough kid.' We just figured he'd be all right, that he just got banged up."

Leonhard is third on the team with 66 tackles, and he has an interception and a fumble recovery this season, his second with New York. He played under Ryan with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008, then followed the coach to New York.

"He's the commander in chief back there, gets everybody lined up and communicates all kinds of different things," Ihedigbo said of Leonhard. "He's looked at as the quarterback of the defense."

Smith is in his fifth season with the Jets and has started 18 games in his career, including the first three this year while Pool was sidelined with an ankle injury.

"I'm going to prepare the same way I always do, but it's going to be a big step taking over Jim's job," Smith said. "We've got confidence we'll get it done."

Leonhard also returns punts, ranking among the NFL leaders with an 11.3-yard average. Jets special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff said that duty now will fall to several players, including Jerricho Cotchery, Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson.

"We'll put together whatever package best suits us," Westhoff said.

Leonhard broke his right thumb in a game a year ago, but he didn't miss any time while playing with a cast.

"It is a damper, but the way this team is now, we don't want to let Jim down," Ryan said. "We are going to find a way to get it done. And that's what I'm banking on. Do I think we'll win the game? Absolutely."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.