The loss of Chuck Clark is a big one for Jets' defense

In 2022, the New York Jets' defense stayed remarkably healthy while the offense was plagued by injuries.

This year, it appears the script has flipped, and the first major blow came to perhaps the least suspecting candidate.

On Thursday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jets safety Chuck Clark will miss the 2023 season with a torn ACL that he suffered during OTAs.

Clark was in the midst of a 1,248 consecutive-snap streak, having not missed a down since Week 16 of 2021. He had never appeared in fewer than 15 games in a season through his six-year career.

The Jets acquired Clark from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick in March during the height of the Aaron Rodgers saga. Clark was an addition who largely flew under the radar. But the Jets viewed Clark as a key addition to the position group that was arguably the team's weakest in 2022.

"Chuck is another one of those guys who just freaking loves ball. Eats it. Lives it. Got a tremendous mindset to him," head coach Robert Saleh told reporters in March at the league's spring meetings "Just an incredible talent. Tackling machine. He's getting into a safety room that we're really excited about."

The enthusiasm regarding this acquisition grew through the early portion of the offseason program when the anticipated starters, Clark and Jordan Whitehead, got on the field together.

"Already, just their relationship out there. It's been exceptional," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich told reporters. "You can see Chuck, there's a reason he's played such consistent football for such a long time."

With Clark now on the shelf, the Jets signed veteran safety Adrian Amos to a one-year deal last week. The hope is likely that the 30-year-old's nine seasons of experience should offer a security blanket of sorts for an otherwise extremely young safety room.

While Amos becomes the early favorite to win the newly available starting job, he will battle in training camp with returning backups Ashtyn Davis and Tony Adams, as well as rookies Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Trey Dean and Marquis Waters.