The Jets' leading rusher from the 2020 season, Frank Gore, is the only unrestricted free agent. That could lead to more opportunities for a pair of young running backs -- La'Mical Perine and Ty Johnson. Perine, who will turn 23 on Saturday, Jan. 30, played 10 games in his rookie season and had 232 yards and 6 TDs on 64 rushes. Johnson, 23, played in 11 games for the Jets in the 2020 season after he was claimed off waivers on Oct. 2.
Perine was drafted in the fourth-round in 2020 and had one of the best training camps on the team, let alone among rookies. He showed quickness, bursts of speed and reliable hands out of the backfield before he sustained a high-ankle sprain in practice. He missed the season opener and later scored his first rushing TD, in Week 7 against Buffalo, when he received a season-high 11 carries. After returning from a four-game hiatus on injured reserve, he was slated to receive the bulk of the load in the season finale at New England. He tested positive, however, for COVID-19 and missed the game.
Johnson adds speed to the group. He was the Lions' sixth-round pick in 2019 out of Maryland and made an immediate impact with the Jets. He had a 34-yard run on his second carry with the Green & White, against the Dolphins in Week 6. Then in Week 13 against the Raiders, he ran for 104 yards and 1 TD (his first NFL rushing score) on a career-high 22 carries. He became the first Jets player since 2018 to eclipse the 100-yard mark. Two weeks later against the Rams, in the Green & White's first win, he accounted for 37 of the offense's 74 yards on its opening drive including an 18-yard receiving TD.
Perine was drafted in the fourth-round in 2020 and had one of the best training camps on the team, let alone among rookies. He showed quickness, bursts of speed and reliable hands out of the backfield before he sustained a high-ankle sprain in practice. He missed the season opener and later scored his first rushing TD, in Week 7 against Buffalo, when he received a season-high 11 carries. After returning from a four-game hiatus on injured reserve, he was slated to receive the bulk of the load in the season finale at New England. He tested positive, however, for COVID-19 and missed the game.
Johnson adds speed to the group. He was the Lions' sixth-round pick in 2019 out of Maryland and made an immediate impact with the Jets. He had a 34-yard run on his second carry with the Green & White, against the Dolphins in Week 6. Then in Week 13 against the Raiders, he ran for 104 yards and 1 TD (his first NFL rushing score) on a career-high 22 carries. He became the first Jets player since 2018 to eclipse the 100-yard mark. Two weeks later against the Rams, in the Green & White's first win, he accounted for 37 of the offense's 74 yards on its opening drive including an 18-yard receiving TD.
Jets RBs in 2021: Young Backs Could Take Center Stage
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