Pace, 29, missed the first four games of last season as well, when he sat out an NFL suspension for using a banned substance. When he did step on the field, he was a force for the Jets’ defense, leading the team with eight sacks in the 12 games he played.
This year, the team signed former Dolphins star Jason Taylor to spell Pace and Bryan Thomas, in three-man rotation for the two outside linebacker spots, in an effort to keep Pace and Thomas fresh.
When Pace was injured, Taylor became the starter and has played well, recording 14 tackles and two sacks in four games, but now the Jets can get back to the original plan.
“It’ll be a rotation,” defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said, when asked how he intends to fit Pace into the Jets’ pass rush, when it’s doing so well. “I think Calvin would be the first to tell you, coming back into a first game at that position, it’s hard to go out there and take every snap.There’s always been a rotation in mind. We haven’t met on that yet and sorted out how we’re going to do it rep-wise,
but it’ll definitely be split between those three players.”
Source:
NJ.com