willie colon

The Jets have placed Willie Colon on the active PUP list.

(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Jets likely won’t have two prominent players when they hold their first training camp practice Thursday.

The team announced Wednesday, when players reported to Cortland, that outside linebacker Antwan Barnes (a non-starter pass-rushing specialist) and right guard Willie Colon have been placed on the active physically unable to perform list.

Being on the active PUP list means a player can be activated at any time after being medically cleared. He does not have to sit out a certain number of practices, which means Barnes and/or Colon could technically be cleared before Thursday’s practice.

Barnes is coming off a season-ending knee injury. He did not participate in organized team activities or minicamp. The Jets on Wednesday announced the signing of pass-rushing linebacker Jason Babin, signaling that they are preparing a backup plan in case Barnes' knee does not progress as they hope. If Barnes missed training camp practices, Jermaine Cunningham could also see more action, as he did during offseason workouts.

Colon sustained a torn biceps in last season’s finale. Then he injured his knee during an offseason workout and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery. He also did not participate in OTAs or minicamp. According to the Jets, Colon was placed on the active PUP list because of his knee.

Like Barnes, Colon expressed optimism that he would be ready for training camp. But unlike Barnes’ situation, the Jets and Colon both sounded more definitive this spring in their hope that Colon could participate when training camp opened.

The Jets this spring rotated Brian Winters (last year's starting left guard) and Oday Aboushi (who did not play in any games as a rookie tackle last season) at their two guard spots, with each player seeing essentially equal action at left guard and right guard.