The Jets placed guard Alex Lewis on the exempt/left squad list on Friday.
Lewis left Thursday’s practice with a head injury. It is unclear if this designation is related. The exempt/left squad designation allows a team to open a roster spot for a player without outright cutting him or putting him on an injury list. Other teams have used this in the past for players contemplating retirement. The Bengals did this with guard Christian Westerman in 2019.
Lewis cannot sign with another team while on this list, but he can return to the Jets.
Lewis missed some time in 2020 on the non-football injury list while seeking medical help, but he returned to the team at the end of the season. He was a potential cap casualty this offseason but took a pay cut in May. That reduced his salary from $5.8 million to $3 million and voided the final year of his deal in 2022.
Lewis lost his starting job to rookie Alijah Vera-Tucker, but the veteran received first-team reps the previous two days while the first-round pick dealt with an injury of his own.
The Jets also announced that tackle George Fant has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Fant went on the list on July 27 after Gang Green reported for training camp.
