Jets place leading rusher Isaiah Crowell on IR

New York Jets running back Isaiah Crowell, who aggravated a toe injury last Sunday that left him in "excruciating" pain, was placed on injured reserve Friday, the team announced. His season is over.

Crowell, who has rushed for a team-high 685 yards and six touchdowns, battled the injury for several weeks. On Thursday, coach Todd Bowles announced Crowell was ruled out for Saturday's game against the Houston Texans-- the first missed game in his career. He had played in 77 straight.

Crowell's first, and perhaps last season with the Jets will be remembered for two games. On Oct. 7, he rushed for a franchise record 219 yards against the Denver Broncos. He needed only 15 carries, as he averaged 14.6 yards per rush.

Two weeks earlier, Crowell drew criticism and a stern rebuke from Bowles after celebrating a touchdown by pretending to wipe his rear end with the ball. He was fined by the NFL, but he parlayed the moment into an endorsement for a company that sells a toilet paper substitute for men.

Crowell is no lock to return in 2019. He signed a three-year, $12 million contract in free agency, but he can be released with minimal salary-cap implications. The Jets can save $3 million by cutting him, taking a $2 million cap hit for 2019.