WATCH: Adam Gase explains why Jets safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye are 'really interchangeable'
Marcus Maye is cleared and ready for takeoff on Saturday night. The Jets safety is back at full strength and will make his preseason debut vs. the visiting Saints at MetLife Stadium.
It's been a long road to recovery for Maye, who only played in six games last season due to shoulder and thumb injuries. Maye then had to start training camp late because of nerve issues in his shoulder.
However, after all the grinding, Maye is finally back and ready to reunite with his partner Jamal Adams. Maye tells New York Jets.com that he intends to make an immediate impact.
“Once I’m out there, I’m going to go out, fly around and make plays," Maye said. "Just being out there is the first step, just coming back from all the injuries. I’m excited just to be back out.”
Jets coach Adam Gase tells the team's website he's thrilled to have Maye in the fold because of how "interchangeable" he is with Adams.
“They both can pressure, they’re good tacklers, Marcus has a very good knack for the ball. He finds ways to get his hands on the ball when he’s playing the post safety..." Gase said to New York Jets.com. "Both those guys can cover guys 1-on-1. They just have the whole skills set you need as a safety.”
That versatility will be extremely beneficial for the Jets' secondary. If Maye can remain healthy, the Jets will have the chance to field one of the league's most dynamic safety duos.
The rehab process took a lot of dedication by Maye. Now that the payoff moment has arrived, Maye is both grateful and ecstatic to hit the field.
“Everything’s right on schedule. It was a long offseason and a lot of hard work to get to this point,” Maye said to New York Jets.com. “But just the fact that I’m here now and to look back at where I was over the offseason, it’s definitely exciting.”
