Jets head coach Robert Saleh confirmed Wednesday morning that right tackle Morgan Moses will miss “a couple of games” with a knee injury, setting the stage for first-round pick Olu Fashanu to make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
Fashanu, drafted out of Penn State with the No. 11 pick, has appeared in three games this season, mainly on special teams, though he did play 14 offensive snaps after Moses went down on Thursday against New England.
Aaron Rodgers was asked about Fashanu on Wednesday, and while the quarterback admitted that he’s not a big fan of making comparisons, he did say that Fashanu reminds him of one of the best linemen in Jets history.
“I don’t like to do a lot of comparisons, but I will in this case. From the beginning, I felt like he reminded me a lot of D’Brickashaw [Ferguson],” Rodgers said. “Personality-wise and then just the consistency. Obviously, I didn’t play with Brick, but I know people who did and I watched him from afar, and I always felt like he was just so consistent week in and week out. Like, he wasn’t getting beat a lot, he was in the right place, he was good against the run game, he was good at pass-blocking, and it’s just never been too big for Olu. I feel like he’s been consistent every day. If he makes a mistake, he doesn’t make a repeat mistake. His attitude, he’s very quiet, he just kind of goes about his business, so I think he’s in a good spot.”
“Obviously, he’s played a lot of left tackle, but he’s played right tackle for us in training camp and on the look team the first three weeks, so I’m very confident in Olu.”
A three-time Pro Bowler, Ferguson – also a Jets first-round pick (2006)—was a model of consistency for Gang Green, incredibly never missing a game in 10 seasons with the Jets. He was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor in 2022, along with Nick Mangold and Darrelle Revis.
“Everyone just has that ‘next man up’ mentality,” Fashanu said, “so for me it was all about just going out there and doing my job to the best of my ability.”
A standout left tackle for the Nittany Lions, Fashanu admitted it was tough for him to not play right away as a rookie, but he’s been making the most of his time on the practice field and in the meeting room with both Moses and Tyron Smith.
“It’s definitely a little tough. The mentality of every rookie is to step in and play,” said Fashanu. “But for me, I think I’m in a very unique situation where I’m in an offensive line room with not only one, but two great tackles, and for me it was all about just getting the most out of them, picking their brains, asking them as many questions as possible to help out my own development.”
Now, Fashanu will get his chance to shine as the Jets welcome the Broncos into MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
