Ryan Kalil will make his Jets debut against the Saints Saturday night with a new lease on his football life. Adam Gase will play the five-time Pro Bowl center for about one quarter as he rounds back into shape after coming out of retirement a few weeks ago.
"You can run and train all you want. Until you're out there wrestling... especially offensive line... it's a different kind of conditioning," Kalil said Thursday. "It's a different kind of work than just doing drills. The more of those reps I can do, the better off I'll be. I got a lot of work done this week. I'm starting to get my timing back with my hands and my feet... and understanding the calls in the playbook."
Kalil has four practices under his belt after signing a one-year deal after the start of training camp. Jonotthan Harrison is also expected to play with Sam Darnold & Co. in what might wind up being a 50-50 split at center in the third preseason game.
"He's learned a whole new offense," Gase said. "It's really just kind of getting used to the verbiage. So, you can react fast. We'll get to the point where he's going to help (Sam Darnold), but right now he's just trying to learn the offense. And Sam's got a good grasp of what we're doing."
The offensive line has played at fast tempo with Darnold in the first two preseason games. It'll be a good test for Kalil, who made steady improvements during the week.
"I think every day's probably a huge jump for him," Gase said. "You can go back and watch tape. Him getting in there on Sunday (at practice) was big. So now when he goes back and evaluates that film and then comes back out, he's got an idea of how it sounds, how it feels when you're going a little bit up tempo."
Kalil, 34, admitted that Saturday will be special for him given that he retired after 12 seasons with the Panthers in January.
"Getting back into it thinking that you were done and then almost having a second chance," Kalil said. "We all love the game. Sometimes it takes walking away to realize how much you love it. And I got that opportunity. I'm very fortunate to get another chance to get back after it. But more than my own personal stuff, it's a really great group."
Kalil understandably is fresher than the rest of his teammates given his late arrival.
"Obviously I'm probably a lot more giddy than other guys who've been doing training camp a little bit longer than me," Kalil said. "Right now I'm just trying to be as much as a sponge as I can and soak everything in."
