Bilal Powell’s eighth-year with the New York Jets has ended prematurely. The team has signed S Ibraheim Campbell to take his roster spot.
The New York Jets placed running back Bilal Powell on injured reserve on Wednesday morning, ending the rusher’s eighth season in green. The team also signed safety Ibraheim Campbell to take over Powell’s roster spot.
We’ve signed S Ibraheim Campbell and placed RB Bilal Powell on IR.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 24, 2018
Through seven games, Powell tallied 343 yards on 80 carries, including a season-high 99 yards in a 34-16 win over Denver. Powell also earned 110 yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown, scored in Week 2’s home opener against Miami. He left the most recent game against Minnesota last Sunday with a neck injury and did not return, leading to his IR placement.
Drafted in the fourth-round of 2011’s draft, Powell, who will turn 30 on Saturday, is in the final year of a three-year, $11.25 million contract inked in 2016. He has amassed 3,446 rushing yards in his Jets career, good for 10th in franchise history.
Check out Bilal Powell welcoming Jarred Davis to the NFL ? pic.twitter.com/LyrMsht11a
— Simms & Lefkoe (@SimmsAndLefkoe) August 21, 2017
With the loss of Powell, the only two active running backs on the Jets’ roster are Isaiah Crowell and rookie Trenton Cannon. Crowell’s fellow veteran Elijah McGuire, recovering from a preseason injury, is expected to be removed from IR next week, and has begun partaking in practices.
Taking up Powell’s roster spot will be Campbell, a fourth-year pro out of Northwestern who most recently spent time with the Dallas Cowboys. Campbell entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2015, accumulating 80 tackles over 37 games, including 11 starts.
He departed Cleveland last season, waived after an injury settlement in November before being signed to the Houston Texans’ practice squad. The Cowboys signed him after he failed to make the Texans’ roster out of training camp, but he was waived by Dallas on October 9.
The Jets return to action this Sunday, hitting the road to take on the Chicago Bears (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS).
UPDATE (4:05 P.M. ET): In a Wednesday afternoon press conference, according to NJ Advance Media’s Darryl Slater, Jets head coach Todd Bowles revealed that the injury will require surgery due a bulging disc and that it’s “possible” it can be career-threatening.
