Sept. 13 – Connor McGovern considered retirement after suffering two knee injuries last October, but the veteran center returned to the New York Jets after signing Wednesday following workouts.
McGovern, 31, practiced with the Jets on Thursday for the first time since injuring the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and dislocating his patella on Oct. 29, 2023.
“After I got hurt, I called my wife and said, ‘OK, that’s it. We’re going to leave them hanging,'” he said Thursday.
On the advice of his agent, McGovern rehabilitated the injury and stayed in playing condition. That advice paid off when he was signed to the Jets’ practice squad.
“If or when this team gets to the playoffs, if I don’t help in some way, I’ll be very disappointed because I didn’t take a risk. I have to keep this team with me,” McGovern said. “The team goes back.”
From 2020 until his injury last season, McGovern played 55 games as the Jets’ starting center. Jets 2023 second-round pick Joe Tippman took over and is currently the starter. The Jets contacted McGovern last week after backup center Wes Schweitzer was placed on injured reserve because of a hand injury.
McGovern began his career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He spent three seasons in Denver, starting 36 of 47 games before signing with the Jets in April 2020.
McGovern said the Jets are the only team he would play for, reuniting with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who took Jets offensive linemen under his wing in January, including McGovern.
McGovern found himself watching the Jets’ 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night and preparing for New York.
“My wife said, ‘You’re not on the team yet!'” McGovern said. “I said, ‘Yeah, but they’re my kids.'”
–Visual-level media
