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One of the key matchups in the Jets-Steelers game is going to be Jets rookie right tackle Armand Membou against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ talented edge-rusher T.J. Watt.
The last time we saw Membou in game action, he had two penalties on one drive. He was the only starting player who saw action in the preseason finale, the Jets’ loss to Philadelphia. That two penalty drive in the first quarter was the last time we saw him. So it’s not ideal for a rookie, that his last action, before taking the field against Watt, was a possession like that. In other words, his preseason didn’t end on the most positive note.
Aaron Glenn was asked after that Philly game about Membou’s performance in that contest.
“That is one of the hardest positions to come in at as a rookie and have everything down pat,” Glenn said. “I don’t know too many guys that, at that position, can do that.
“It’s going to be a learning curve for him, and that’s okay. He’s going to be a damn good player for us. I have all the confidence in the world for him.”
I’m going to be honest with you – as a human being, these kind of quotes create a quandary for me as a reporter.
Yes, Membou is only 21, one of the youngest players in the league, and while he has a lot of potential, he is raw in some ways.
So, of course, there will be a “learning curve for him,” but this is professional football, so I don’t think we should grade on a curve.
A few months ago, he signed a 4-year deal for $31.9 million, fully guaranteed.
So the learning curve might be okay for the coach, but as a beat writer, should I factor that into the coverage if he struggles?
That is where the moral dilemma presents itself.
But honestly, it’s the Jets who decided to start him, and if he’s not 100 percent ready, the onus is on them, not the player or the reporter.
The NFL is not a developmental league.
So I’m going to cover him just like any other starter with no lowered bar . . .
The Jets signed linebacker Mykal Walker to their practice squad earlier this week and released linebacker Boog Smith.
People might wonder why they would do that.
It’s pretty obvious, Walker has a lot more experience than Smith, and if they need to call up a linebacker from the practice squad, who are you more likely to call up, a rookie from a I-AA school, or a six-year NFL veteran with 25 starts?
The Jets are Walker’s seventh team, after entering the league as a fourth-round pick of Atlanta in 2020. He spent three years in Atlanta, starting 20 games there.
Then he became a little bit of a journeyman with stops in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Pittsburgh (all in 2023), but he spent most of that season in Pittsburgh, where his position coach was current Jets linebacker coach Aaron Curry.
He spent last year in Washington, where he played under Dan Quinn, who was involved in drafting him in Atlanta in 2020.
So with teams having the ability to sign anybody to their practice squad these days, regardless of years of service, this is a smart insurance policy move for the Jets at linebacker, adding a guy with a lot of starting experience.
Smith and Jackson Sirmon, their two other practice squad linebacker, have potential, but this guy has a lot more experience, in case they have an injury . . .
The Jets’ depth at cornerback right now is a little dicey.
Right now they have rookie Azareye’h Thomas and second-year cornerback Quan’tez Stiggers, who is like a rookie because he is in his second NFL defense in two years after not playing college football. He has a nice upside, but is raw.
Granted, backup safety Isaiah Oliver can swing to corner, but you could make a strong argument they should have kept Jarrick Bernard-Converse, who was claimed by Cleveland on waivers . . .
Jets rookie linebacker Malachi Corley might be the first player in team history of Laotian descent.
His mother, Penny, is Laotion.
Laos is a country in Southeast Asia . . .
September 2, 2025
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