D'Angelo Ponds Suddenly Staring at a Bigger Jets Role Amid Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Injury Concerns

It is back to the drawing board for the Jets after a 23-12 loss to the Bears on Sunday in a game that was completely one-sided, putting a dent in any progress Gang Green seemed to make in the first three weeks of the season.

From another rough showing in the trenches and quarterback Geno Smith's disastrous performance to a poor coaching job from head coach Aaron Glenn and his staff in terms of keeping the team disciplined and failing to contain the league-leading rushing attack of the Bears, it was an uninspiring loss that has put this team in a precarious position as it continues to deal with a rash of key injuries.

As the Jets return home to face the Browns on Sunday, rookie D'Angelo Ponds could be in line to take on an expanded role.

His availability was limited due to an offseason calf strain, but Ponds finally made his NFL debut against the Lions in Week 3, playing only two defensive snaps. He then played a career-high 18 snaps in the loss to the Bears, ultimately coming at the expense of cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who left the game after colliding with teammate Dane Belton and is now in concussion protocol, per ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini.

Jarvis Brownlee Jr. left the game after this play, a collision with teammate Dane Belton. Brownlee now in concussion protocol. One of those days for the #Jets. pic.twitter.com/kd0B4282Ay
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 6, 2026

As injuries continue to ramp up and an opportunity has opened for Ponds, the second-round pick out of Indiana has a chance to leave a strong impression and potentially increase his snap count for the rest of the season if he performs well.

D'Angelo Ponds likely to take on an increased role against Browns

Being without Brownlee for any length would be a blow to the Jets. The 25-year-old defender leads all of New York's defense with 110 slot snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, with the next closest player being Jamien Sherwood at 23. On top of that, Brownlee's 82.6 tackling grade and 74.0 coverage grade are top-20 marks among cornerbacks this season.

Along with his 18 snaps, Ponds played 14 of those in the slot and recorded a run stop despite failing to come away with a pick or defended pass. While he made little overall impact in relief of Brownlee, that isn't to say he can't in Glenn's secondary.

After all, Ponds had 167 total tackles and seven interceptions (two for a touchdown) in his collegiate career at Indiana and posted the eighth-best overall grade (88.8) out of 895 qualified CBs last season, per PFF.

That is a good indicator of what he is capable of doing when the snaps are coming his way, even if his 5'8" frame is smaller than most at his position. This is also a secondary that did not exactly play well in the Windy City against Bears backup QB Tyson Bagent, although All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick did his part by coming away with the team's first interception in 636 pass attempts (h/t NFL).

Minkah Fitzpatrick gives the Jets their first INT in 636 pass attempts

NYJvsCHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/CQUCl4JVnt
— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026

Aside from that, this group was not at its best collectively throughout the game and contributed to two of the three interceptions from Bagent that were ultimately negated due to penalties. One of those was on Ponds, who was called for holding on a third-and-eight with just over six minutes remaining and gifted the Bears a fresh set of downs, as they would go on to run the final 9:16 off the clock on an 18-play, 76-yard drive to end the game.

Although Ponds only allowed one reception for 21 yards, he committed two penalties and struggled in coverage. That said, he also found success against the run, earning a respectable 65.7 run-defense grade from PFF. So, there was certainly enough in a limited role to suggest the rookie can become a quality contributor to this defense and provide a spark if he takes on a larger role.

Along with his run-defense skills, Ponds has the versatility to play in the slot and on the perimeter and was someone coming into the season with the potential to become a Year 1 starter. To be fair, this could be an opportunity that could lead to even more playing time down the road, considering Brownlee's snap count in the slot has decreased in each passing game:

Game	Snaps in the slot
Week 1	35
Week 2	31
Week 3	25
Week 4	19

For now, Brownlee's status is up in the air, as he must clear the NFL's five-stage concussion protocol. If Ponds can use this opportunity to his advantage and put his best foot forward, the Jets' rookie could set himself up for additional playing time as the season continues.

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