LI's Elijah Riley to start for Jets two weeks after scary concussion

Elijah Riley heard the word "stretcher’’ and didn’t know what to think. The Jets safety and Long Island native was in a significant amount of pain after a big hit in the team’s Dec. 19 loss to Miami, but he didn’t think it was tremendously serious. Before he knew it, he was on his way to a Florida hospital.

"The ride from the stadium to the hospital felt way longer than almost anything I’ve ever done," said Riley, who starred at Newfield High School before playing for Army. "I was just very happy that all the scans came back negative and that I just ended up with a minor concussion."

Two weeks after that concussion, Riley will start for the Jets in Sunday’s game against the Bucs, Robert Saleh said Friday.

"It was exciting to get back out there with my teammates," said Riley, who practiced fully all week. "I wanted to be back on the field with everybody, wanted to get the opportunity to take advantage of these last two games and finish the season off right."

Riley will boost a recently depleted safety group that also was down Ashtyn Davis last week after he tested positive for COVID-19. Although Davis was activated from the reserve/ COVID-19 list, Saleh said he was unsure about his status for Sunday because he’s "dealing with other stuff aside from COVID."

Since joining the Jets from the Eagles’ practice squad in early November, Riley has played well. He made 10 tackles in the Jets’ Week 14 loss to the Saints and had six in Week 15 against the Dolphins before suffering the concussion.

Despite the scary optics of being carted off the field, Riley said he was alert through all of it and never doubted that he would return this season.

"I was very optimistic from the jump," he said. "I kind of knew how my body felt. I didn’t anticipate it being anything too serious."

Riley said recovering from a concussion is a waiting game more than anything else. And if there is one thing that professional athletes hate to do, it’s to wait — especially when that waiting is occurring on the injury report.

"The most frustrating part is, it’s my brain," Riley said. "I can’t necessarily work out my brain. I can’t really get treatment on my brain to help speed up the recovery process. I just got to kind of hang out and let it run its course."

Now Riley will return to face Tom Brady, a quarterback whom he’s been watching for years — mainly from his Long Island living room.

"That’s exciting," Riley said. "I’ve been watching him since I was damn near in Pampers. It’s going to be an exciting moment playing a very good quarterback and a very good team. It’s going to be a test of what we’re made of."

Notes & quotes: WR Jamison Crowder (calf) is doubtful for Sunday . . . WR Elijah Moore (quadriceps) won’t play. Saleh said he’s "hopeful" that he can play next week in the season finale at Buffalo . . . Saleh said he hopes to get DT Quinnen Williams, TE Tyler Kroft and CB Bryce Hall back from the COVID list, but they still have to go through some tests . . . LBs Shaq Barrett (knee) and Jason Pierre-Paul (shoulder) are out for the Bucs. CB Richard Sherman (Achilles) is doubtful and WRs Antonio Brown (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) are questionable.