Jets’ Le’Veon Bell sits out practice, but could play vs. Giants
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The New York Jets dodged an injury scare with Le’Veon Bell.
The star running back is a bit banged up, but the team is optimistic he’ll be able to play Sunday against the Giants.
Bell sat out practice Wednesday with ankle and knee soreness, a day after an MRI revealed no structural damage.
“He was trying to practice today,” coach Adam Gase said. “We were discouraging that. We thought it wouldn’t be the right thing for him to do, go out there and practice. And, so he finally was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right, probably should stay inside and work out.’
“I think he is going to be all right. He’s just really sore right now.”
Bell was injured late during New York’s 26-18 loss at Miami on Sunday. He never left the game and Gase didn’t know Bell’s knee or ankle were bothering him until Monday, when Bell missed a meeting to have tests.
“He kind of took a weird hit there late in the game,” Gase said. “I don’t think it really hit him until almost like a day later.”
Bell is off to a sluggish start in his first season with the Jets. He has 415 yards on 125 carries, a 3.3 average that ranks as the lowest of his career. Bell ranks second on the team with 40 receptions, but he has scored just two touchdowns overall – one each rushing and receiving.
When the Jets promoted Josh Adams from the practice squad Tuesday, it added to the fear that Bell could be sidelined for at least this week. Instead, it was just a matter of the Jets wanting to give Adams, who led Philadelphia in rushing last season, a look in the last half of the season.
“We’ve been talking about this for a couple of weeks, getting him up,” Gase said. “We brought him here for a reason. He’s explosive, he’s been doing really well in practice, been doing a great job with the defense. We’re just trying to get some of these younger guys, we have practice squad guys that we think can contribute and help us in some way.”
Center Ryan Kalil (knee), linebacker C.J. Mosley (groin) and safety Rontez Miles (neck/hip) also sat out Wednesday.
After practice, the Jets placed Miles, who leads the team with seven special teams tackles, on injured reserve. The move was made to clear a roster spot for cornerback Maurice Canady, who was claimed off waivers from Baltimore. Canady was a sixth-round pick out of Virginia and had 55 tackles and one interception in three-plus seasons with the Ravens.
Second-year tight end Chris Herndon was a limited participant in practice as he continues to recover from a groin injury. Herndon was expected to practice fully, but Gase said the Jets would still be cautious with him.
“It’s just one of those things where he’s trying to work through it and he’s trying to fight through that stage of, ‘What going to happen when I really go?’” Gase said. “I know he has been trying to do that. On the side, when he’s running and things like that, non-football stuff, I think he’s doing that. It’s just about having the confidence to do it within the play.”
Defensive end Henry Anderson (shoulder), left tackle Kelvin Beachum (ankle), nose tackle Steve McLendon (neck), right guard Brian Winters (knee/shoulder), cornerback Darryl Roberts (calf), wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (hamstring) and linebackers Neville Hewitt (neck/knee) and Jordan Jenkins (calf) were all limited at practice.