Door Is Open for Arian Smith to Erase Jets' Doubts After Omar Cooper Injury Update

Tuesday morning brought some interesting injury updates to the New York Jets regarding a pair of key players dealing with injuries.

At first, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick would be sidelined for two to three weeks with a groin injury. Shortly after that, ESPN/NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport revealed that rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is "week-to-week" with an ankle sprain he picked up in the Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans.

#Jets rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr., who left the Week 1 game early, suffered an ankle sprain and the MRI showed some positive news, sources say. He’s week-to-week, with the hope that he returns within the next four weeks. pic.twitter.com/01aEfwyUqu
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 15, 2026

A multi-week absence is disappointing, but it's positive news considering that some Jets fans thought Cooper's entire rookie season was in jeopardy. With Schultz adding that the team is hoping the first-year playmaker "returns within the next four weeks," it sounds like Cooper will be back by mid-October.

In the meantime, though, the Jets will need the depth WRs behind Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell to step up. On Monday, I wrote about how practice-squad wideout Jamaal Pritchett could benefit from Cooper's absence, but he isn't the only one who can use the opportunity to audition for a bigger role.

Enter Arian Smith, who needs an opportunity exactly like this to get back into Gang Green's good graces.

Jets need Arian Smith to step up as Omar Cooper Jr. remains 'week-to-week'

The 2025 season was one to forget for many Jets, especially Smith.

The 110th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft appeared in all but one of New York's 17 games last season (including five starts), but you wouldn't know it more often than not. The former Georgia Bulldog finished his rookie campaign with seven catches on 16 targets (43.8%) for 52 receiving yards and did not score a touchdown. His playing time cratered as the season went on, highlighted by the split below:

	Week 1-10	Week 11-18
Games played	9	7
Starts	4	1
Total offensive snaps	310	66
Average offensive snaps per game	34.4	9.4
Targets	10	6
Receptions	6	1
Receiving yards	47	5
Yards per reception	7.8	5.0

Needless to say, Smith entered the 2026 season plagued by concerns and questions about whether he'd be among the Jets' latest draft mistakes.

Unfortunately, he didn't do himself any favors after Cooper exited Week 1 in the first quarter, as Smith finished the 23-10 win over the Titans without a catch. In fact, he dropped his only target despite the nearest Titans defender being well over six feet away when the ball came into contact with him (h/t Glenn Naughton).

Arian Smith gets a target, and... pic.twitter.com/6FICE11tGL
— Glenn Naughton (@JNRadio_Glenn) September 13, 2026

What's even worse is that Smith only played two offensive snaps against the Titans, shining more of a spotlight on his miscue. He ended the game with a team-worst 29.3 offense grade on Pro Football Focus, with the next-closest player being WR Isaiah Williams at 51.7, truly hammering home how desperately Smith needs a bounce-back opportunity.

Well, now he has it staring him right in the face, and it all begins against the Packers in Week 2.

Analyzing Arian Smith's outlook

Smith won't usurp Wilson or Mitchell for the top spots on the WR depth chart, but the Jets don't need him to. Instead, he needs to use the attention the aforementioned duo draws to capitalize on as the No. 3 wideout in the Geno Smith-led offense.

Speed is easily Smith's biggest weapon, having registered a 4.36-second 40-yard dash back at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. That blazing footwork was on full display on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Cade Klubnik in a joint practice. That speed doesn't mean much if the drop issues persist, though.

That said, the Packers—despite losing by 17 points in Week 1—did a good job of limiting the Vikings' wideouts, as Justin Jefferson was the only WR on the team to catch a pass. Every Jets wideout will need to do their part to avoid repeating that result, which means they can't afford to let Smith let this opportunity slip through his hands (literally and figuratively).

With three more years (including this season) left on his rookie contract, Smith has a path to becoming a key fixture in the Jets' passing game. That can only happen if he proves his worth and takes his game to the next level, with the upcoming Packers showdown marking a potential first step.

But if he doesn't rise to the occasion, it might be time for Mougey & Co. to reconsider whether a split would provide both sides with a much-needed fresh start.

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