Ex-Jets running back Bilal Powell made his return to Florham Park on Friday as his former team had him in for a workout, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post.
Powell’s long-tenured career with Gang Green seemed to end prematurely last season due to a neck injury. However, he was cleared for all football activities in May and is now trying to show Gang Green and the rest of the NFL that he’s healthy.
A fan favorite, Powell has spent his entire eight-year career in New York up to this point. For his career, Powell has rushed for 3,446 yards and 15 touchdowns and also has 1,567 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.
Sharing a workload with Isaiah Crowell, Powell, played in seven games last season. He had 343 rushing yards, as well as 110 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Bringing back Powell as anything other than a camp body or depth piece makes little sense for New York. The Jets went out and signed Le’Veon Bell and Ty Montgomery in free agency and also have Elijah McGuire, Trenton Cannon, De’Angelo Henderson and Valentine Holmes on the active roster. New York could be looking to replace UDFA RB Jalin Moore, who was placed on the NFI and had an outside shot of making the team.
There is no doubt that Powell will one day be inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor. He deserves it after being one of the bright spots in a dark era of Jets football.
Given Powell being on the wrong side of 30 and coming off injury, though, his best days are probably behind him. Still, taking a flier on a player enriched in the franchise’s recent history does little harm.
