Braelon Allen injury: Jets RB to miss 8-12 weeks after being placed on IR, per coach Aaron Glenn
Allen injured his knee during Monday night's loss to the Dolphins
In the midst of an 0-4 start, the New York Jets have placed second-year running back Braelon Allen on injured reserve after he sustained a knee injury in Monday night's loss to the Dolphins. On Friday, Jets coach Aaron Glenn told reporters Allen would miss 8-12 weeks as he decides whether to go through rehab or get surgery to repair the knee.
"There are two different ways he can go about it," Glenn said. "He could actually rehab this or he could have surgery and get it cleaned up. The rehab time would be exactly the same. That'll be a decision he and his agent have to make, and I'm not making that decision for him."
That timeline for Allen's return could have him back on the field as early as Week 13's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. If Allen's recovery is on the longer end of that timeline, he may not be back until Week 17, and then the team would have to decided whether it's worth having him come back at all in 2025.
With Allen out for an extended period of time, the Jets have signed veteran running back Khalil Herbert, who was recently waived by the Seahawks. A five-year veteran, the 27-year-old Herbert averaged a solid 4.8 yards per carry during his first four seasons in the NFL. In 2022, he rushed for a career-high 731 yards for the Bears, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Allen was injured on a kickoff return late in the second quarter and quickly ruled out. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Allen suffered an MCL sprain on the play.
Allen rushed for 26 yards on four carries prior to getting injured. He also committed a costly fumble deep in Dolphins territory that halted the Jets' 12-play, 82-yard opening drive.
Allen, a 2024 fourth-round pick, has 76 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries this season. As a rookie, Allen had 334 yards rushing and two touchdowns while averaging 3.6 yards per carry. He also caught 19 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown.
With Allen out, the Jets' running game will now be spearheaded by quarterback Justin Fields and running backs Breece Hall, Herbert and Isaiah Davis. Hall currently leads the Jets with 238 yards rushing, while Fields leads the team with three touchdowns on the ground. Davis had five total touches for 27 yards during Monday night's loss to the Dolphins.
The Jets are hoping to get their first win of the season Sunday against the Cowboys, who will come to New York with a 1-2-1 record.
