Bizarre Battle Between Jets, Osemele Over Shoulder Injury
NY Jets Confidential|December 2019
This is one of the most unusual stories we have covered in the 25 years of Jets Confidential.
Bizarre Battle Between Jets, Osemele Over Shoulder Injury

Offensive guard Kelechi Osemele said he couldn’t play with a shoulder injury. The Jets’ medical staff and GM Joe Douglas believed he could. Osemele played the first three games of the regular season with the injury, but then refused to any longer. This became a nasty battle culminating with Osemele having surgery, Oct. 25, without the team’s approval. On Oct. 26, Osemele was released by the Jets. The following is one of the more interesting interviews we have ever encountered in our quarter-century covering the team, when Osemele was questioned by reporters at his locker, Oct. 23:

Q: What was your reaction when you were fined for not practicing Saturday?

A: I kind of expected it. They told me if I didn’t practice they were going to fine me. I can’t go, so that is out of my control.

Q: Have you filed a grievance?

A: Yes.

Q: How often are they fining you?

A: Pretty much every day they are going to be fining me.

Q: Are you confident you are going to get that money back?

A: Pretty confident considering that legally, if I can’t practice, and I’m injured, then they have to pay me. That is how it works. I’m having surgery on Friday.

Q: Have the Jets authorized the surgery or are you just getting it done yourself?

A: I’m just getting it done myself. I got a third opinion yesterday. I was in Boston and saw Dr. Glenn Ross. He informed me it’s pretty bad. It’s torn off the bone.

Q: Can you repeat that?

A: Yeah. My labrum is torn off the bone. There is a cyst on my humerus. It’s pretty bad.

Q: Have the Jets’ doctors weighed in after you got that third opinion?

This story is from the December 2019 edition of NY Jets Confidential.

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This story is from the December 2019 edition of NY Jets Confidential.

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