The New York Jets will have Minkah Fitzpatrick in the lineup against the Chicago Bears in Week 4.
When the New York Jets face the Chicago Bears in Chicago in Week 4, Minkah Fitzpatrick will be back in the lineup.
Fitzpatrick, who missed two games after injuring his groin on the sixth play of the season opener, practiced fully on Thursday and proclaimed himself ready to play against the Bears at Soldier Field.
The Jets acquired Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins in the offseason. Fitzpatrick is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. He has 21 career interceptions.
New York has gone 20 consecutive games without an interception. Last season, the Jets became the first team in NFL history not to record a defensive interception and to lose five straight games by 23 or more points within a single season.
The Jets likely won't have to deal with Caleb Williams because he has a Grade 2 hamstring strain, but Case Keenum played great for the Bears against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 on Monday Night Football. The veteran threw for 247 passing yards and two passing touchdowns and scored one rushing touchdown.
It will be interesting to see if the Jets record an interception against the Bears in Week 4.
Offensively, the Jets have been decent with Geno Smith leading the way. They are averaging 21.3 points per game. The defense is giving up 20.3 points per contest.
Smith is off to a solid start in his second stint with the Jets. The veteran has 783 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. He's completing 75.5% of his passes.
"He's a warrior, man," tight end Jeremy Ruckert said, via ESPN. "He's a field general. We have the utmost confidence in him."
The Jets lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 3, but Smith played well. He put up 321 passing yards and threw three touchdowns while going 31/37 through the air.
So far, Smith has been everything the Jets hoped for and more. He doesn't look like last year's quarterback, when he was arguably the worst starter in the league with the Las Vegas Raiders.
After leading the NFL in interceptions last season, Smith hasn't thrown a single one this season. He made multiple pinpoint passes against the Lions, showing off his accuracy and touch.
Smith's best NFL seasons came with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 and 2023. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 and won the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year award.
Smith entered this season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions in the NFL. Heading into the Jets' Week 4 matchup against the Bears, Smith has a 43-58-0 record as a starter.
