Jets Place Three On IR Including RB Le’Veon Bell, Sign RB Kalen Ballage

Kim Jones reports that the Jets are placing RB Le’Veon Bell on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

The Jets confirmed the news and announced that they’ve also placed WR Denzel Mims and LB Blake Cashman on injured reserve. 

New York signed RB Kalen Ballage to the active roster. 

It’s worth mentioning that the NFL changed the rules regarding injured reserve for the 2020 season and players can return from the list in just three weeks. 

Jets HC Adam Gase told reporters on Monday that Bell could be out a couple of weeks with the hamstring injury he picked up Sunday.

Bell appeared to suffer a hamstring injury on an incomplete pass in the second quarter of Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Bills. He tried to return in the second half but ended up leaving the game. 

He rushed six times for 14 yards and caught two passes for 32 yards before leaving Sunday’s game. 

Bell, 28, is a former second-round pick of the Steelers back in 2013. He played out the final year of his four-year, $4,120,600 rookie contract, but Pittsburgh used their franchise tag on him.

The Steelers decided to franchise Bell for the second straight year, but he elected to hold out the entire 2018 season and set himself up for free agency in 2019. The Jets later signed Bell to a four-year, $52.5 million contract worth up to $61 million and including $35 million guaranteed.

In 2019, Bell appeared in 15 games for the Jets and rushed for 789 yards on 245 carries (3.2 YPC) to go along with 66 receptions for 461 yards receiving and four total touchdowns.

Mims, 22, was a four-year starter at Baylor and led the team in receiving in 2019. The Jets used the No. 59 overall pick in the second round on him.

Mims signed a four-year, $5,433,700 rookie contract that included a $1,511,782 signing bonus with the Jets. 

During his four-year college career at Baylor, Mims had 186 receptions for 2,925 yards (15.7 YPC) and 28 touchdowns.

Ballage, 24, is a former fourth-round pick by the Dolphins in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Arizona State. He was entering the third year of his four-year, $3 million rookie contract.

Miami had initially planned to release Ballage but the Jets swooped in with an offer before he could be placed on waivers. New York agreed to send a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick to Miami in exchange for Ballage. However, the deal fell through after he failed a physical. 

In 2019, Ballage appeared in 12 games and recorded 74 rushing attempts for 135 yards (1.8 YPC) and three touchdowns to go along with 14 receptions for 63 yards receiving (4.5 YPC).