Just when it seemed like the Jets injury situation couldn’t get much worse, it just did. Running back Bilal Powell has been placed on injured reserve with a neck injury that he suffered in Sunday’s 37-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Sadly, that will probably be Powell’s last game as a New York Jet.
Coming up on 30 years old, Powell is in the final year of his contract on a team that’s in the midst of a youth movement. With that being the case, common sense would lead one to believe that Powell’s days in Green and White are over. A harsh reality for the longest tenured player on the team who has been a consummate pro from the day he arrived.
Several times throughout his career, Powell was pushed aside in favor of inferior backs whose production fell short of that of Powell’s, but he never said a word. Powell showed up every day, did his job as a runner, a receiver and a blocker, with more success than any casual fan is capable of understanding.
It’s a tough day for Jets fans and an even tougher one for Powell, whose class, work ethic and production will be difficult to replace.