The New York Jets are kicking the tires ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
NFL Insider Aaron Wilson shared on X that the Jets hosted veteran running back Jerome Ford for a workout on Monday, September 7.
Ford, 26, will turn 27 at the beginning of the 2026 season. The former Alabama and Cincinnati product entered the league as the No. 156 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Across his four seasons at the NFL level, Ford has appeared in 57 games and has made 18 starts. With those opportunities, he has toted the rock 340 times for 1,463 rushing yards and has averaged 4.3 yards per clip. Through the air, Ford has been targeted 138 times, catching 107 balls for 647 receiving yards. Ford has scored 12 total touchdowns during his NFL career.
Ford spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns. During free agency, he signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Washington Commanders. He was placed on IR in August, and he reached an injury settlement with the team to become an unrestricted free agent.
Hope for the Best, Expect the Worst
Dr. Aaron Glenn, I mean, head coach Aaron Glenn, said his two injured running backs will be ready for Week 1. Breece Hall injured his groin, and Isaiah Davis tweaked his knee this offseason.
However, just in case they aren’t, the Jets appear to be doing their homework on running backs that are available just in case.
The Running Game Opens Everything Else for the Jets on Offense
“There are no glaring strengths, but one thing the Jets should do reasonably well is run the ball. They return four starting linemen and their top three backs from a unit that ranked 10th in rushing yards last season. If Breece Hall delivers another 1,000-yard season, it will reduce the pressure on QB Geno Smith, who leads the league in interceptions (52) and sacks (182) over the past four seasons. Things will get ugly without a competent run game,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote.
Last season, the Jets had Justin Fields at the helm. He is one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history. According to StatMuse, Fields had 1,143 rushing yards in 2022 with the Chicago Bears. That is the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season in NFL history.
Bluntly, Fields is a more dynamic rusher than Smith at the quarterback position. That isn’t arguable. However, what also isn’t arguable is that Smith is a much better passer of the football.
When Fields ran a read-option play with the Jets, a defender had to respect his ability to potentially keep the football. Defenses probably don’t have to show that same respect to Smith in that scenario, but if he proves he can be a competent passer, they will have to respect him in a different way.
There are a lot of different ways to accomplish something. The threat of Smith can open up the running game. The threat of Fields’ rushing abilities opened up the running game.
In other words, the Jets have a chance to be just as good as last year running the football, if not better.
Jets Work out 12-TD RB Amid Injury Concerns Before Titans Game