Less than two weeks after he was carted off the field with a head injury, Jets safety Elijah Riley has returned to practice.
Head coach Robert Saleh delivered the news on Wednesday morning, mentioning Riley's return amid a plethora of COVID-19 updates.
Asked specifically about Riley, and his ability to work back from what appeared to be a severe injury, Saleh praised the safety for his toughness.
"Just his mindset, his grit, his toughness, all that stuff," Saleh told reporters. "Completely blessed that he’s able to recover as quickly as he has, and really excited to get him back in the fold, because in the short time that he’s been here, he’s garnered a lot of respect from his teammates and his coaches."
While sprinting in from the secondary, trying to tackle Dolphins running back Duke Johnson, Riley crashed into one of his teammates, crumpling to the turf before laying motionless for several minutes.
READ: Jets' Elijah Riley 'Checked Out Fine' After Scary Neck Injury
After a visit from the team's doctors and training staff, the safety was strapped onto an emergency spine board, slowly carted off the field. Riley was later diagnosed with a concussion, regaining motion and flying back to New York with the team that night.
Riley, 23, was the recipient of an increase in playing time when safety Marcus Maye was ruled out for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury. The Army product was making his fifth start of the season with the Jets when he was injured in Miami.
With Ashtyn Davis and Sharrod Neasman on the COVID list, New York was forced to add some new faces to their defensive backs room this past week. Will Parks, for instance, made the start on Sunday just a few days after he was claimed by New York.
Against quarterback Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday, Riley's presence in the secondary would be a boost for this team. After all, New York has allowed an average of 391.3 yards and 29.9 points per game this season, the most in the NFL.
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