Jets' One-Two RB Punch Practicing Together on 'Exact Same Plan'
On paper, the New York Jets pack a powerful punch atop the running backs' portion of the depth chart.
With exciting second-year pro Breece Hall returning from ACL surgery and the recent signing of four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook, Gang Green is in line to feature a two-headed monster behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
On Tuesday in Florham Park, that one-two punch was no longer only a thing on paper. Present on the field together, Hall and Cook were active at practice.
"Dalvin's here, he's practicing. Breece is practicing," said third-year head coach Robert Saleh's prior to the early-afternoon session.
Both running backs were on the mend following offseason surgeries but appear to be trending toward being available for the Monday Night Football season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
"[Cook] he's gonna be limited, just try to get him involved. Him and Breece are on the exact same plan — just getting them ready to play Week 1," said Saleh.
Cook, who underwent shoulder surgery, officially signed with the Jets on August 16, but subsequently stepped away from the team for the birth of his child. Thirteen days prior to the Green & White's Week 1 battle, Cook is back in Florham Park and ready to work.
"He feels great. [It's] different when you're dealing with an upper body [injury]," said Saleh. "Feel really confident about him and his ability to just hit the ground running. At the same time, he hasn't had a camp, he hasn't had OTAs, he's been working, he's been traveling a lot with the baby, so we just gotta be smart with him."
Hall came off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on August 15 and has been ramping up during practice over the past two weeks.
"I know he's worked his tail off. He's been here every single day, grinding. We've never been worried about his availability, we just gotta be smart," said Saleh of Hall's status. "I think in his mind he can probably feel like he can take 30 touches, but we just gotta be smart with him."
The presence of multiple capable backs will allow the Jets to spread the workload.
Hall gained 681 yards from scrimmage in his first 6.5 games as a pro. Meanwhile, Cook has eclipsed the 1,100-yard rushing mark for years in a row.
"It's good we have two. It's great we have Michael Carter, also. Three really good backs that we feel very comfortable with," said Saleh.
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