Breece Hall’s Groin Scare Has Jets Nation Sweating — But the Verdict Might Be Fine
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets just got a scare they didn’t need. Breece Hall, the offensive centerpiece, grabbed a swing pass in the red zone and was rolling toward six points Monday when he suddenly dropped to a knee a few yards shy of the end zone. No contact. No warning. Just a groin screaming stop.
Coach Aaron Glenn initially said it’s a right groin strain, with imaging on deck to determine the severity. He wasn’t exactly panicking.
“I don’t think it was a big deal, but I want to make sure I get the evaluation on that,” Glenn said.
Still, the sight of Hall limping to the medical tent — then leaving for the locker room — was enough to make the backfield go quiet. No. 2 back Braelon Allen felt every bit of it.
“My stomach dropped a little bit,” Allen said. “From the sounds of it, it doesn’t seem too serious, so I’m hoping he gets back as quick as possible.”
Ground game already on thin ice
The Jets want to run the football. New offensive coordinator Frank Reich has been loud about leaning on the ground game with Hall as the featured man. Hall, 25, just ran for a career-high 1,065 yards last season and signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal in May after getting the franchise tag. That’s what you call a commitment.
But the depth behind him is getting tested. Isaiah Davis, the No. 3 back, has been sidelined about a week with a minor knee injury and is expected to miss at least another week. That leaves Allen and Kene Nwangwu as the top healthy options, with rookie free agents Chip Trayanum and Sam Scott next up. The Jets might be shopping for a veteran rental.
Allen, who underwent major knee surgery not long ago, looked explosive in the preseason opener, ripping off a 31-yard touchdown run against the Buccaneers. He said he now feels faster and more explosive than ever. At 235 pounds, that’s a nasty thought for defenders.
Being cautious with their franchise back
Hall has missed only two games over the previous three seasons, but his rookie year in 2022 included a torn ACL that cost him the final 10 games. That history is exactly why the Jets will play this ultra-safe.
“One good thing about our players is that they are honest with their injuries, and if they can go, they can go,” Glenn said. “But we try to be cautious there with a lot of those [injuries] to make sure that we do the right things.”
Quarterback and defensive reinforcements
There was good news elsewhere on the injury front. Quarterback Geno Smith, who skipped the preseason opener with a sore left ankle, practiced fully Monday. He wore a sleeve on his lower leg and was limping slightly at times, but Glenn said players know how to manage the soreness.
Also back in the mix: nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat and edge rusher Joseph Ossai both practiced for the first time after coming off injury lists.
The Jets open the season in 27 days against the Tennessee Titans. If Hall’s groin cooperates, this is just a scary footnote. If not, Gang Green’s whole offensive identity gets put on ice.