The NY Jets were hoping to see star running back Breece Hall return to the lineup ahead of their Week 15 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That doesn't seem likely at this stage.
Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich told reporters on Wednesday that Hall is still "struggling a bit" with his knee injury. Ulbrich insisted that Hall has not improved as much as the team would've hoped, and while they're not at the point of shutting him down yet, there's pessimism that he will be available on Sunday.
Hall initially suffered the knee injury in the Jets' Week 11 game against the Indianapolis Colts. He was able to play through the injury in that game and rehab over the team's bye week. That allowed him to suit up for the Jets' Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Hall fumbled twice in that game and played a season-low 62 percent of snaps. The former Iowa State star was held out of practice the following week and did not play this past Sunday, his first missed game since tearing his ACL in 2022.
The Jets are understandably being cautious with Hall, as his latest knee injury affects the same knee where he previously tore his ACL. There's no reason to rush him back in what has amounted to a lost season for the organization.
Hall was on pace for a second consecutive top-10 finish in overall scrimmage yards and had been playing some of his best football of the season before his injury. Now, there's a real chance he won't step back on the field until 2025.
The Jets leaned on rookie running backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis in Week 14 and found considerable success. The two rookies finished with a near 50/50 split on snaps and touches, accounting for 148 total yards and a touchdown.
Allen showed flashes of his potential early in the season and is looking to make the most of his extended playing time. Davis, on the other hand, has showcased his pass-catching upside in recent weeks after being confined to special teams for most of the year.
At 3-10, the Jets have already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the 14th consecutive season. It would be wise for the team to use these final few weeks to evaluate Allen and Davis.
It seems unlikely that Hall will play for the Jets on Sunday, and there's a legitimate chance he won't play again this season.