Qwan'tez Stiggers was back on the field Wednesday after landing in concussion protocol last week, but the Jets kept him in a red pinnie that kept him from taking hits. The return was a limited one, yet it was the clearest sign that the defensive back is moving back toward full work as the team moves through its final days before the Steelers.
The timing mattered because the Jets used a lighter 90-minute practice after a two-hour session Tuesday, then turned the day into a short, sharp tune-up for Friday's second preseason game. Aaron Glenn said the team opened with base down reps for the first two series and then moved into about 15 red zone reps, a format that let the staff see who was ready to handle speed, spacing and contact without overloading anyone.
There was still plenty to watch. The defense forced Geno Smith into two early incompletions, and Dane Belton broke up a Garrett Wilson target down the right sideline in the second team period. Will McDonald IV and David Bailey then combined on a would-be sack of Cade Klubnik, who finished 5-of-5 passing and threw two short touchdown passes in the red zone period, including scores to Jelani Woods and Kene Nwangwu.
That was also where the practice showed its strain. T'Vondre Sweat, Joseph Ossai and Kiko Mauigoa were on a maintenance plan and did not get any team reps, while David Onyemata and Tim Patrick were given veteran rest days. Breece Hall, Mykal Walker, D'Angelo Ponds, Kenyon Sadiq, Nahshon Wright, Isaiah Davis, VJ Payne and Mory Bamba remained out, Tyler Baron stayed on the active/PUP list, and Mory Bamba and Kenyon Sadiq worked out on the bike.
The sharpest friction point came with Geno Smith. Glenn said the quarterback's ankle is not limiting him in practice, but Smith took only 9 snaps across the three team periods, which is not the sort of workload a team usually gives a fully unrestricted starter this close to a preseason game. He was sharp enough to draw two early incompletions from the defense, but the snap count still suggested the Jets are being selective with what they ask him to do.
Elsewhere, Jowon Briggs stopped Braelon Allen for a tackle for loss in the second team period, and former Jets linebacker CJ Mosley visited practice for the second time this week. Jamien Sherwood said Mosley played a pivotal part in his career, calling him someone he owes a great deal to. For Stiggers, the next step is the one that matters most: the Jets head to Pittsburgh on Thursday, and by Friday the question will be whether the defensive back has done enough to shed the red pinnie and get back into full contact work.
