McDonald didn't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Giants due to a knee injury, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.
McDonald dealt with back spasms earlier this month. The 15th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, McDonald appeared in all 17 regular-season contests last season, making 15 starts, and finished with 28 tackles (18 solo), including a team-high 10.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Logs one tackle in preseason win
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McDonald (back spasms) tallied one tackle during Saturday's 30-10 preseason win over the Packers.
McDonald had his practice level managed early August due to back spasms, but the injury never appeared to be severe enough to impact his game-time availability. The 2023 first-round pick is working to build off a breakout 2024 campaign in which he tallied 10.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Meanwhile, the Jets activated Jermaine Johnson (Achilles) from the active/PUP list Sunday.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Leaves practice early
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McDonald (back spasms) left practice early Tuesday, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.
McDonald was one of three Jets to leave practice early Tuesday as he dealt with back spasms. The 26-year-old is entering his third season in the league and is becoming an emerging star and one of the premier pass rushers in the league. Last year, he appeared in every game, tallying 10.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, and is expected to add onto that production this year.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Breaks out in second season
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McDonald posted 28 total tackles (18 solo), including 10.5 sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles across 17 games in 2024.
The 2023 first-round pick from Iowa State made a tremendous leap in production from his rookie season to 2024, tying Jonathon Cooper, Dante Fowler and Travon Walker for the 12th-most sacks in the NFL. McDonald also ranked among the NFL's top 15 edge rushers in quarterback hits (12), pressures (61) and batted passes (three) this season. He's now entering the third season of his rookie contract and is expected to remain one of the premier edge rushers in the league, with aspirations of earning his first Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors in 2025.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Pair of sacks in loss
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McDonald registered 2.0 sacks in Sunday's 26-21 loss to the Seahawks.
McDonald was able to get to Geno Smith two times in the defeat, notching his third multi-sack performance of the year and first since Week 3. The 25-year-old has now produced 21 total tackles (16 solo), including 10.0 sacks, while also adding two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed over 12 games this season.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Fills stat sheet in loss
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McDonald finished with three tackles (three solo), including a tackle for a loss and 1.0 sacks, and a pass breakup in Sunday's 37-15 loss to the Steelers.
The defensive end also played on 65 percent of the defensive snaps. McDonald has 15 tackles (12 solo), including 8.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed in seven games this season. The 2023 first-round pick recorded just 14 tackles, including 3.0 sacks, in 15 games as a rookie.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Gets to the quarterback Sunday
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McDonald recorded two tackles (two solo), including 1.0 sacks, during Sunday's 23-17 loss against the Vikings.
McDonald's sack came on a third-and-1 deep in Jets territory to force Minnesota to settle for a field goal. He was causing problems for Sam Darnold that didn't show up on the stat sheet as well, and it looks like McDonald found his footing as a pass rusher early in his second year. He brings some IDP allure into a Week 6 matchup versus Buffalo.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Five sacks in last two games
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McDonald had 2.0 sacks among his three tackles (one solo) and four quarterback hits in Thursday's 24-3 win over the Patriots.
McDonald stayed hot after his 3.0-sack breakout in Week 2. With Jermaine Johnson (Achilles) done for the season, McDonald will be counted upon to play a key role on the edge for the Jets, even if Haason Reddick's ongoing contract dispute is resolved at some point.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Three sacks in win
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McDonald recorded four solo tackles and three sacks in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Titans.
McDonald lived in Tennessee's backfield, getting to quarterback Will Levis three times to match his combined sack total from the first 16 games of his career. Jermaine Johnson (Achilles) is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles in the victory, and with Haason Reddick holding out, McDonald will likely move into a starting role at defensive end beginning with the Jets' Thursday night game versus the Patriots in Week 3.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Quiet rookie season
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McDonald finished his rookie season with 3.0 sacks among his 14 tackles (nine solo) while adding a forced fumble and a fumble recovery over 15 games.
Despite being a first-round selection (15th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, McDonald was limited to a reserve role on the Jets' deep defensive line in his first NFL campaign. There were questions about his ability in run support entering the NFL given his 6-foot-3, 241-pound frame, and McDonald was used primarily as a pass-rush specialist in 2023, but he was outclassed in that role by Bryce Huff (10.0 sacks) while failing to exceed 30 percent of defensive snaps in any game. With Huff set to become an unrestricted free agent, McDonald could see a bump in usage in 2024, and the Jets will be hoping he progresses similarly to 2022 first-round draft pick Jermaine Johnson, who jumped from 2.5 sacks as a rookie to 7.5 in his second season.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Gets first career sack
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McDonald recorded a sack for his lone tackle in Sunday's 30-6 win over the Texans.
McDonald logged his first full sack in the fourth quarter, bringing his season total up to 1.5. The 2023 first-round draft pick brought down backup quarterback Davis Mills, who had replaced the injured C.J. Stroud (concussion) on the previous drive.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Questionable after missing practice
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McDonald (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Las Vegas, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
It's not clear when McDonald sustained the ankle injury or how severe it might be at this point. If he can't suit up in Week 10, Carl Lawson will likely see more work at defensive end against the Raiders.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Notches sack in shutout win
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McDonald recorded one sack and two quarterback hits in Saturday's 27-0 preseason win over the Panthers.
McDonald had three tackles and a quarterback hit in his NFL debut the previous week, so the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has shown some intriguing ability to get to the passer. McDonald's speed and bend off the edge give him a high ceiling as a pass rusher, but with questions about how he'll hold up in run defense at just 239 pounds, the rookie will likely begin his career as a situational rusher rather than an every-down player.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Returns to practice Tuesday
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McDonald (leg) practiced Tuesday, Ralph Ventre of SI.com reports.
The rookie first-round pick was sidelined for the first couple practices of training camp due to a leg contusion, but he was back on the field for Tuesday's padded session. Per Ventre, McDonald stood out during his first action and is on track to be part of the Jets' edge rusher rotation in 2023. The Iowa State product was a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team honoree and totaled 34 sacks across five collegiate seasons.
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Jets' Will McDonald: Goes to Gang Green
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The Jets selected McDonald in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 15th overall.
This was something of a surprise pick as many had McDonald ticketed as a late-first or early-second round pick. McDonald racked up a pair of double-digit sack seasons during his time at Iowa State. He possesses good length (34.88 in. arms) to help shed blockers and he was adept at finding the ball with 10 forced fumbles. McDonald may be near his developmental peak as he will turn 24 over the summer but he had a standout pro-day performance that suggests that his athleticism will play right away. The Jets are continuing to add to one of the league's best defenses.
