New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith has adopted the use of red contact lenses during training camp practices to mitigate glare from the sun.
"It blocks out the sunlight and all that, so it's actually pretty cool," Smith said Thursday. "It keeps the glare from the sun out of your eyes." He noted that the lenses give the entire practice field a yellow tint, which he finds beneficial. The idea to start wearing them reportedly came from eye specialists, though Smith recalls former Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes wearing similar lenses during games in 2013.
In other training camp news, rookie cornerback D’Angelo Ponds has not yet practiced due to a calf injury but is working with trainers on a side field. Head coach Aaron Glenn indicated Ponds is nearing a return within the next couple of weeks, expressing confidence in the player's intelligence and understanding of the playbook despite the missed on-field time. Rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq is expected to miss a couple of weeks following a setback in his recovery from hernia surgery, though Glenn anticipates he will be ready for the regular season. Defensive end Kingsley Enagbare (ankle), running back Isaiah Davis (knee), and cornerback Nahshon Wright (hip) did not participate in practice Thursday, with Davis potentially sidelined for several weeks.
The Jets also announced the claim of defensive tackle Junior Tafuna off waivers from the Houston Texans, waiving defensive lineman Patrick Jenkins in a corresponding move.