Jets running back Breece Hall strains groin at practice. Tests planned, but Aaron Glenn optimistic

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Breece Hall strained his groin during practice Monday and will have tests to determine the severity of the injury.

Coach Aaron Glenn appeared cautiously optimistic after practice that Hall’s injury wasn’t serious.

“I don’t think it was a big deal,” he said, “but I want to make sure I get the evaluation on that.”

Hall, the team’s top running back coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season, caught a pass late in the practice session, pulled up and fell to the rain-slicked grass. He got up and walked gingerly to the sideline, where trainers appeared to be examining his upper right thigh/abdomen area.

“My stomach dropped a little bit, for sure,” backup running back Braelon Allen said. “From the sound of it, it don’t seem too serious, so hope he can get back as quickly as possible.”

The 25-year-old Hall is considered a key to New York’s offense. He received a three-year contract extension in the offseason from the Jets worth up to $45.75 million. The team had used the franchise tag on Hall, whose contract — which will pay him $15.25 million per year — made him the third-highest paid running back in the NFL at the time.

Hall ran for a career-high 1,065 yards last season despite missing the final game with a knee ailment, becoming the first Jets player to top 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Chris Ivory in 2015. The 2022 second-round draft pick from Iowa State has 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three straight seasons, making him just the sixth player — and fifth running back — in franchise history to accomplish that feat.

If Hall needs to miss some time, the Jets’ backfield will be a bit short-handed. Isaiah Davis, a fifth-round pick in 2024, is sidelined with what Glenn has said is a minor knee injury. Allen, Kene Nwangwu and undrafted rookies Sam Scott and Chip Trayanum are the other running backs on New York’s roster.

“Injuries are a part of this league,” Glenn said. “It’s the biggest equalizer in this league. I think as a coach, obviously you don’t want to see any of your players go down, but you also have to continue to move forward.”

Allen, who was limited to four games with a knee injury last season, would step into the starter’s role if Hall is out for any practices and the two remaining preseason games. The 2024 fourth-rounder said it was a “sigh of relief” to run for a 31-yard touchdown in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay on Saturday night, showing he’s healthy.

“I know that most people think that, that once you lose a starter, there’s a huge drop-off,” Glenn said. “I like to look at it like all of our guys are starters.”

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