Rutgers coach Greg Schiano explains why starting DE Wesley Bailey is out for season

For Wesley Bailey, it was not worth waiting things out.
The starting Rutgers defensive end was shut down for the remainder of the 2024 season because he is “physically unable to play,” head coach Greg Schiano said during his weekly press conference Monday.
The decision was seemingly made during the team’s recent bye week and was announced prior to Saturday’s win over Minnesota in Piscataway. Bailey missed the previous two games against UCLA and USC, and according to Schiano, the Canadian is not in position to return to the field any time soon.
“He can’t play,” Schiano said. “He’s physically unable to play. We held out hope, but I think some of that caused some stress, too. I wanted to — He needs to get better. He needs to heal. It is what it is.”
Bailey missed the first two games of the season, then played four consecutive contests against Virginia Tech, Washington, Nebraska and Wisconsin. He totaled one sack, nine tackles, nine pressures and a pass breakup in 150 snaps across those four appearances.
Because Bailey played in just four games, he is able to use his redshirt this season and will have another season of eligibility to use next fall. Teammates Bryan Felter and Mohamed Toure, who also suffered season-ending injuries, have already shared their intentions of returning to Piscataway for the 2025 season.
Schiano said he has not spoken to Bailey about whether he plans to play his final season of college football at Rutgers next fall.
“I haven’t talked to him at all about that,” Schiano said. “It’s really been about his health.”
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Brian Fonseca may be reached at [email protected].