CORTLAND — Calvin Pryor may have been cleared by the doctors, but getting past the coaches is another matter.
Jets coach Rex Ryan said he is leaning toward not playing the first-round pick in Thursday’s preseason opener, to give the rookie safety some more practice time in his return from a concussion.
“He’s listed as physically ready to play, but I don’t anticipate playing him in this preseason game,’’ Ryan said. “That’s a lot of work. We’ll get him back and get him up to speed for the next one. That’s kind of what I see.’’
Pryor — who suffered a concussion July 26, the Jets’ first day in pads — passed the NFL’s post-concussion assessment protocol on Monday. He got a few snaps with the third-string defense Monday and practiced with the second unit Tuesday.
But with the Jets doing no full-speed team periods Tuesday, just walk-throughs — and enjoying an off-day Friday — Ryan said they likely will err on the side of caution.
“We waited this long, let’s get him a fresh start, make sure everything’s good,’’ Ryan said. “We’ll start the week. We have a couple of training-camp days and then you’ll get ready to play Cincinnati [next week], so I think that’ll be good for him. I was debating: Do we throw him in there? But at the end of the day, let’s just take the cautious approach, give him a couple days and let him have at it next week.
“He was in those [defensive] meetings, but until you’re actually out there doing it [it’s different]. I don’t want him to make a poor account for himself. I’d rather give him a full week of preparation and let him get ready.’’
RBs Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell are listed as even atop the depth chart, and they might stay there for a while, with Ryan saying he expects to use a running back-by-committee.
“I definitely think it’s going to be a committee approach. When you have Chris Ivory, Chris Johnson and Bilal Powell, I think that’s a pretty safe bet,’’ Ryan said. “[It’s] different than … ’09 when Thomas [Jones] clearly ended up being the guy that took the majority of the things. … But these are three guys that are capable of being starters themselves, so I think we’ll play all of them.’’
Powell (hamstring) returned to practice on a limited basis, and may play Thursday.
“I’m not real sure. He was better than we anticipated him being. At first I was [thinking] he won’t play,’’ Ryan said. “We’ll probably reevaluate that.’’
A league source confirmed the Bears worked out former Jets WR Santonio Holmes but did not sign him.
The Jets put LB Jermaine Cunningham on injured reserve and signed OT Bruce Campbell. WR Shaq Evans has a shoulder injury Ryan called “pretty bad,” acknowledging the rookie could end up on the season-ending IR.
Ryan verbally tweaked CB Dimitri Patterson, who is nursing ankle and calf woes: “It looked like he wasn’t doing much because he gave up a bunch of completions. … I was like, ‘Dimitri, we have to tighten up a little bit over there.’ ”