New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Jets place Bell on IR with a hamstring injury
NEW YORK — The New York Jets will face the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers without Le’Veon Bell.
The star running back was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a hamstring injury. Bell was hurt in the second quarter of the Jets’ season-opening 27-17 loss at Buffalo on Sunday.
He will miss at least the next three games, and be eligible to return to the active roster in Week 5.
The Jets also announced they have placed rookie wide receiver Denzel Mims (hamstring) and secondyear linebacker Blake Cashman (groin) on injured reserve.
The team also signed running back Kalen Ballage to the active roster after a trade for him on Aug. 27 fell through three days later when he failed his physical with the Jets. New York had sent a conditional seventhround pick to Miami for Ballage, who played one season under coach Adam Gase with the Dolphins.
With Bell sidelined, 37year-old Frank Gore was the team’s only healthy running back on the active roster. Josh Adams was elevated from the practice squad and played against the Bills. He’s likely to be elevated again this week. As part of this year’s rules changes, players can be elevated twice from a team’s practice squad and returned without passing through waivers.
Rookie fourth-rounder La’Mical Perine has been sidelined the past few weeks with an ankle injury, and it’s uncertain if he’ll be healthy enough to play Sunday in the home opener.
Gase said Monday he didn’t want to put a timetable on Bell’s return, but said it was possible it could take some time because it’s a soft-tissue injury. He also expressed optimism that Bell could heal quicker than anticipated.
Bell was hurt on an incomplete pass late in the second quarter on a play during which Bills linebacker A.J. Klein was penalized for holding after he got tied up with Bell.
The running back landed awkwardly and grabbed at the back of his left leg before heading to the sideline.
He returned for the second half, with his left leg wrapped, but was removed shortly into the third quarter.