Keller to miss season finale
Dustin Keller walks off the field after practice on opening day of their training camp in Cortland, N.Y. (July 27, 2012) Credit: AP
BUFFALO -- Dustin Keller's disappointing 2012 season will end with him at home.
The Jets tight end didn't make the trip up north for their 1 p.m. season finale against the Bills. Sunday will mark the eighth missed game for Keller, who has been sidelined for three weeks with a second-degree ankle sprain.
He had prided himself on being durable, often mentioning that he had never missed a game until this season. But a nagging hamstring injury kept him off the field for several weeks to start 2012 – an ominous sign for Keller, who was in the final year of his rookie contract.
After not receiving a long-term deal from the Jets this past offseason, he made it clear this summer that he didn’t want to be slapped with the franchise tag.
“Next year, there’s no telling if I'm going to be here or be somewhere else," he said on Thursday. "With that said, I'd definitely like to play in this last game if it's my last game as a Jet or if it's just my last game until next year's first game as a Jet. I'd like to play either way."
Keller – who last played on Dec. 2 against Arizona -- has just 28 catches for 317 yards and two touchdowns.
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CB Ellis Lankster (concussion) and WR Chaz Schilens (knee) also did not travel with the team and have been ruled out for the game.
