Jets betting on Chuck Clark getting all the way back from ACL tear

Not being on the field or preparing to play was extremely difficult for Chuck Clark last season. Watching his Jets teammates practice from a window while he was recovering from an ACL tear hurt Clark more than the grueling rehab process.

“That was the first time in 23-plus years that I hadn’t played football in the fall,” Clark said. “Just seeing everybody go out there, line up for games, getting in the game plan and whatnot, and I’m seeing it from afar, watching it through the window and doing the workouts. That was the toughest part. Not the actual rehab stuff and pushing through that stuff. It was not actually being able to be out there, just feeling in a different space, something that I had never felt before.”

Before missing all of the 2023 season, Clark, a safety, had been an iron man in six seasons with the Ravens, missing only one game because of illness or injury. A case of COVID kept Clark from facing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in 2021.

The Jets acquired Clark from the Ravens in March 2023 for a seventh-round pick. A proven starter on a top defense, Clark was coming to strengthen an already stingy defense and secondary.

But that was put on hold after Clark suffered the ACL tear last June on the last play of organized team activities with his new team.

Clark said he felt something when the injury occurred but didn’t think it was anything serious. He said he ran to the sideline and was moving around fine the next day. He thought it was just “a little football soreness.” When he found out the severity of the injury, he was shocked and devastated.

“I couldn’t believe it when it did happen,” Clark said. “I wasn’t accepting it. I’m moving around. It’s just not true.”

Instead of competing with Jordan Whitehead and Tony Adams for a starting safety spot, Clark had to come to grips with his new reality. He poured all of his energy and effort into getting healthy and returning to the game he loves.

The Jets re-signed Clark in March and let Whitehead walk in free agency. Now Clark is out to prove that he hasn’t lost a step and still has the edge he brought with him to the Jets.

Clark started his last 60 games with Baltimore. He has five interceptions, five forced fumbles and 32 passes defended in his career and set a career high with 101 tackles in 2022.

Clark felt he “wasn’t being respected” in Baltimore and requested a trade in part because the Ravens drafted safety Kyle Hamilton and signed Marcus Williams in free agency.

“I ain’t forgot about that,” Clark said. “I still got that chip on my shoulder.”

Clark has additional motivation: showing everyone he’s all the way back from his injury.

“I still got a lot to prove,” he said. “I missed a whole year. I’ve got a lot to prove from that sense. People might [say]: ‘Oh, he missed a year, he lost a step.’ Yeah, all right. Watch. It’s a lot of stuff I got to prove.”

Clark also believes he’s got “a lot” left.

“Going into Year 7, tear your ACL, it’s probably one of the worst things that could happen that we think of as players,” Clark said. “It’s like, yeah, that happened, but I knocked that process down and I’m back and I’m like, ‘All right. Cool. That was it. That was an ACL.’  ”

The Jets were high on Clark last year and are excited to have him back healthy. He and Adams will start at safety.

One thing that impressed the Jets was how much time Clark spent rehabbing at their facility instead of going off on his own.

“He looks good,” Robert Saleh said. “He works his tail off. He’s been here every day. He didn’t have to, even last year, he didn’t have to be here to rehab but he was here, staying connected to the team. He’s putting together a good OTA and [we’re] excited about the trajectory with which he’s going.”

Clark said he was doing just about everything after seven months. He was cutting and backpedaling by early February. He believes that if the Jets had made a long playoff run last season, he might have been able to play.

He’s back playing now with no restrictions and sharpening his skills against the masterful Rodgers. Clark said all the different looks that Rodgers is giving him are making him a better player.

Clark played on four top-10 defenses with Baltimore. He believes the Jets’ defense, which was ranked third last year, could be even stronger this season.

“We can be great,” Clark said. “We say every day what our standard is, what we’re chasing. We’re ready to ball. The offense putting up points for us and we going out there and getting people off the field and causing turnovers.”

Clark’s happy return should help.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.