Jets LG Alex Lewis benched for 2nd straight game
Dennis Waszak Jr. | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 1 month AGO
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Jets left guard Alex Lewis is being benched for the second straight game as a result of what coach Adam Gase called “an organizational decision.”
Lewis was limited at practice last Friday for what the team said was not injury related. He didn't play last Sunday against Miami, and Gase announced Friday that Lewis wouldn't play against Las Vegas this Sunday after not practicing all week.
Neither Gase nor the winless team has explained the situation surrounding Lewis, who had started all but one game this season before last week.
“There has been not any resolution to this yet," Gase said. “It's an organizational decision.”
Gase would not go into any further details, other than to say that Lewis' roster spot was not in jeopardy. He also said it was not correct to say Lewis' benching is disciplinary, and the offensive lineman is not being fined by the team.
Lewis has been attending the team's virtual meetings, but has not practiced. When asked whether Lewis would play next week at Seattle, Gase said simply: “I can't answer that.”
“As soon we have a resolution to this, we can talk more about it,” Gase added.
On Monday, Gase was asked if he and Lewis had perhaps gotten into a “verbal altercation” at some point last week.
“We had a conversation,” Gase said Monday. “I wouldn’t call it, I don’t know if it’s really a ‘verbal altercation,’ but we had a conversation. Right now, we’re handling it internally.”
The 28-year-old Lewis was acquired from Baltimore in August 2019 for a 2020 seventh-round draft pick. He opened last season as a backup before moving into the starting lineup when Kelechi Osemele was injured. General manager Joe Douglas signed Lewis to a three-year, $18.6 million contract extension in March with the team perhaps viewing him as a long-term part of the offensive line.
Lewis missed the Jets' home game against Buffalo on Oct. 25 because of a shoulder injury, but had been in the lineup until last Sunday. The Jets' latest loss dropped them to 0-11.
NOTES: DL John Franklin-Myers tested positive Thursday for the coronavirus and did not practice as the team had him stay away for precautionary reasons, but follow-up testing revealed it was a false positive. Franklin-Myers was back with the team and practicing Friday. ... RT George Fant (knee/ankle) was expected to be limited and questionable for the game after being sidelined last week. “Unless we have some major setback (Friday), it looks like we’re in good shape with him, which that’ll be good for us,” Gase said. ... OL Pat Elflein (shoulder) was also expected to be limited and listed as questionable.
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