The Jets won’t have tackle Ben Ijalana in Thursday night’s game against Washington because of a shoulder injury he suffered when the two teams held joint practices this week.
Ijalana won’t be available for any of the Jets’ other games either. The team announced on Wednesday that Ijalana has been placed on injured reserve.
Ijalana started 13 games for the Jets in 2016 before moving back to a reserve role while appearing in 11 games last season. He was slated for swing tackle duties again this year and his injury comes at a moment when left tackle Kelvin Beachum is out of action due to a foot problem.
The Jets filled the roster spot by signing Gino Gradkowski. The 2012 Ravens fourth-round pick was Baltimore’s starting center in 2013, but went back to the bench the next year and then moved on to Atlanta in 2015. He last saw regular season action with the Panthers in 2016.