Getty New York Jets running back Michael Carter against the Denver Broncos in 2022.
The New York Jets had a tremendous outing against the Chicago Bears but it was not without injury. Running back Michael Carter’s ankle ailment flew a bit under the radar, being that rookie Zonovan “Bam” Knight and Ty Johnson spelled him so efficiently.
Head coach Robert Saleh addressed the severity of Carter’s injury on November 28, along with a few other “casualties” of the victory over the Bears.
Jets Reveal Severity of Michael Carter’s Ankle Sprain
“Michael Carter, [Chazz] Surratt, Ashtyn Davis and [Cedric] Ogbuehi, they’re going to be questionable for the week,” Saleh informed reporters. “They’ll go day-to-day, [and] I’ll have more information for you guys on Wednesday.”
“They all have a chance to make it [in Week 13], so that part’s encouraging,” the Jets HC added.
Based on that final quote, it became fairly obvious that Carter did not suffer the feared high-ankle sprain. The NYJ beat picked up on that too, asking a follow-up question on the second-year running back.
“That’s not a high-ankle sprain, then?” New York Post reporter Brian Costello double-checked.
“No, it’s low,” Saleh responded, clarifying that the medical explanation is much longer but is also unnecessary. “It’s low,” he reiterated a second time.
Even if Carter does end up missing Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings, the update is an encouraging one considering Breece Hall’s initial prognosis was much less inspiring following his knee injury.
Carter was sidelined for three games during his rookie season. So far in 2022, he’s managed to remain relatively healthy. Part of that could be due to a decreased workload.
Obviously, Hall was the bell cow during the first half of the campaign and now Carter has James Robinson and Johnson sharing the duties, along with the upstart rookie in Week 12. Without the Iowa State star, this is a running back stable in New York — that much is clear.
That doesn’t mean Carter isn’t important. He’s developed into a safety net in the passing game as well as a team leader on the sidelines, not to mention his shiftiness as a ball carrier. Hopefully, his recovery will be a short one.
Breece Hall Takes First Step on Road to Recovery
Another important running back was the subject of a sort of injury update on November 28, the big dog himself. Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer shared the news during an article last night.
“Breece Hall was back at the team’s practice facility today for the first time since he tore an ACL,” Breer began. “Obviously, Hall has a very long road ahead. But the Jets couldn’t be happier with how he played before the injury, or more excited about his future. And maybe the best way to describe what he brings to the table is right here—on his long touchdown run against the Broncos, at 220 pounds, Hall recorded a GPS-tracked speed of over 20 miles per hour (21.97, to be exact). It’s the second-fastest speed recorded for a ball carrier this year.”
“Add that to the 463 yards rushing he had through six games and change, and the 5.8 yards per carry he was averaging, plus the 19 catches he’d recorded and, suffice it to say, the Jets look at Hall as a pretty important piece of their future,” he concluded.
Yeah, you could say that again! Whenever a team trades up for a running back, it’s a pretty clear indicator that they believe he has what it takes to become a true difference-maker as an offensive playmaker.
The Christian McCaffreys and Alvin Kamaras of the league — or Derrick Henry in a truer running back sense. These guys aren’t just a part of the offense, they are the offense in most cases.
Don’t get me wrong, the Jets want to surround Hall with a plethora of weapons and to some extent, they have, but it’s been evidently clear that he was the straw stirring the drink during the early winning streak. It’ll be nice to have him back in 2023.