Jets" First Practice Marred by Hint of Uncertainty From Holmes The Jets" offense would take a serious hit with the long-term absence of receiver Santonio Holmes, who is recovering from a left foot injury sustained in September. CORTLAND, N.Y. - One practice into training camp, and it was all going so well for the Jets. No embarrassing mishaps at quarterback, no egregious mistakes or defensive breakdowns. Under the vast blue sky, and amid the rolling green hills, it was possible to forget about all their defects, if even for a second. An ominous dose of reality interrupted the reverie, intruding after Friday's workout when Santonio Holmes moseyed into the interview tent and detonated the Jets" hopes for him. Holmes, recovering from a serious left foot injury sustained in September that required two operations, said he was uncertain when he would return, and furthermore, if he would return this season at all. "I can't answer that question right now," Holmes said. In other words, after the first practice of training camp, six weeks before the season opener and five months before the season ends, Holmes was reluctant to say that he would line up at receiver for the Jets at any point. "I mean, I want to, but I have to do what the foot say to do," Holmes said. And if the foot's not ready to roll, it's not ready to roll. His foot was not available for further comment, and his mouth was not much more forthcoming, either. Holmes seems to relish playing the role of contrarian, of taking a combative approach with the news media. And since he delivered his sentences in a deadpan manner, without any facial expressions or modulation in his voice, it was unclear, despite follow-up questions, whether he actually knew his status; was at all concerned about his progress; or was just unwilling to discuss it much. Asked if he doubted his ability to perform at the same level before his injury, Holmes said, "I can't worry about that now." Asked when he could return to practice, he said, "Whenever the doctors clear me will be the day when I show up to practice." Asked what the doctors have told him about his timetable, he said, "They don't know." The Jets have few indispensable players - the list starts with Antonio Cromartie, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, and it very well might end with them, too. But Holmes is a valuable asset, the best receiver of a meager group, and his long-term absence would diminish the Jets" offensive potential. It would also be a bad omen for the winner of the quarterback competition. "There's always concern," Coach Rex Ryan said. But I feel confident that we will have him back. When that is, I'm not sure. But I feel confident that he'll be out there. Until the Jets decide whether to remove Holmes from the physically-unable-to-perform list - if he retains that designation into the season, he must miss the first six games - he will follow a strict rehabilitation schedule. On Friday that meant catching passes atop a stationary bike and running on an antigravity treadmill, which allows him to run without inflicting pressure on his foot. At bed check Thursday night, Ryan noticed that Holmes's dormitory room is loaded with various devices intended to accelerate his progress. Holmes did say that he has improved, but he has yet to cut or run at close to full speed. His priority, he said, is "learning how to walk again, making sure the feet move at the same pace and no setbacks in the future." If there are setbacks, at least the Jets have Braylon Edwards, who spent his first day back in uniform catching passes (not dropping them), tutoring Stephen Hill, joking with his close friend and former Cleveland teammate Kellen Winslow and savoring his role as mentor. "You just have to go out there and do it," Edwards said. If you go out there and do it, people will follow you. Then when you say things, they'll mean a lot more. Holmes was standing about 10 yards away from Edwards, but he could not hear him. In his six-minute interview, Holmes showed emotion only once, when he mentioned the bad luck that befell him Thursday afternoon. His truck broke down during his drive here, delaying his arrival by a few hours. At least then the Jets knew that he would be joining them soon. Aaron Berry, who had a chance to be the Jets" fourth cornerback, will miss the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during practice. ... Perhaps the most memorable moment of Friday's practice came when Quinton Coples showed his speed while chasing Geno Smith to the sideline on a designed rollout. Coples barked, "you're not that fast, you're not that fast," while in pursuit, and afterward he said of Smith, "He's a rookie in this league. I've got to let him know that it's faster here than in college.