Jets' RB Hall strains right groin, but likely not serious injury

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - New York Jets running back Breece Hall strained his right groin in practice Monday and will have imaging tests to determine the severity of the injury -- a potential blow for their rush-heavy offense.

Coach Aaron Glenn, speaking immediately after practice, indicated the preliminary indications don't seem dire.

"I don't think it was a big deal, but I want to make sure I get the evaluation on that," he said.

Hall went down on the grass field without being touched. He caught a swing pass in the red zone and was running toward an apparent touchdown, but he dropped to a knee a few yards from the end zone. He limped to the sideline and was examined under the medical tent before leaving for the locker room.

"My stomach dropped a little bit," said Braelon Allen, the No. 2 running back. "From the sounds of it, it doesn't seem too serious, so I'm hoping he gets back as quick as possible."

The Jets open the season in 27 days against the Tennessee Titans.

Hall is arguably their most important player on offense. The Jets gave him the franchise tag in the offseason before signing him to a three-year, $43.5 million contract in May, making him the fourth-highest-paid running back at the time. He now ranks eighth, based on average salary per year.

Hall, 25, rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards last season. New offensive coordinator Frank Reich has said he wants to lean on the running game, with Hall in the featured role.

The Jets' backfield depth will be tested for the remainder of training camp, perhaps longer. Isaiah Davis, their No. 3 back, has been sidelined for a week with what is being characterized as a minor knee injury. He's expected to miss at least another week.

That leaves Allen and Kene Nwangwu as their top backs. After them, they have Chip Trayanum and Sam Scott, both rookie free agents. They likely will look to add a veteran.

The Jets will be ultra-cautious with Hall, who has missed only two games over the previous three seasons. As a rookie in 2022, he tore an ACL and missed the final 10 games.

"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."

Allen is coming off major knee surgery, but he looked explosive in the preseason opener, rushing for a 31-yard touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I think I'm faster and more explosive than ever," the 235-pound Allen said.

In other injury news, quarterback Geno Smith, who sat out the opener with a sore left ankle, practiced fully on Monday. He wore a sleeve on his lower leg and was limping slightly at times. The injury occurred last Wednesday in a joint practice with the Bucs.

"Any time you have a situation where you have soreness or something, I don't think it's totally gone," Glenn said of Smith. "Players understand how to manage it. Players want to practice. They want to get better. We have to do a really good job of making sure that we don't push the limit so far that we end up going backward."

Nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat and edge rusher Joseph Ossai, both removed from injury lists, practiced for the first time.br/]