The Jets still don’t have a timetable for the return of receiver Santonio Holmes. If Holmes had his way, the would be right now.
“He definitely wants to get back as soon as possible,” receiver Stephen Hill said, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “If he could have played on Saturday, he would have played. He kept saying, ‘I can play. I can play.’ But we’re just like, ‘Look, Tone….’”
Holmes ran routes during pregame warmups prior to the preseason contest against the Jaguars, with Geno Smith throwing the passes.
“He looked pretty good,” Smith said of Holmes. “He was running pretty fast. He’s always had good hands, but he doesn’t look to be slowed down at all.”
The development comes in the wake of speculation that Holmes is milking a foot injury that was suffered in September 2012. The Jets privately have denied any suggestion that Holmes is taking advantage of the situation.
Really, he has no reason to lollygag. Though his $7.5 million salary for 2013 is fully guaranteed, neither the Jets will pay the $9.5 million he’s due to earn in 2014 unless he has a huge season. And he can’t have a huge season if he isn’t playing.