New York Jets place Le’Veon Bell, Denzel Mims on IR (Report)

The New York Jets can’t catch a break. Their injury-riddled offense suffered another major blow as star running back Le’Veon Bell heads to the IR.

The New York Jets are battered and bruised. They’ve only played one game, but they’ve already placed eight players on either the IR, PUP, or NFI list. The New York Jets announced that Le’Veon Bell, Denzel Mims, and Blake Cashman would be players nine, 10, and 11.

We've signed RB Kalen Ballage to the active roster.

Additionally, we've placed RB Le'Veon Bell, WR Denzel Mims and LB Blake Cashman on IR.

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 15, 2020

The New York Jets star running back struggled mightily in the first game of the season, but he’s still a weapon. He’s a strong reciever and blocker who can help Sam Darnold make something out of nothing. He’s not going to be Darnold’s check down for a while.

Meanwhile, the loss of Mims means the Jets are going to have to rely on Breshad Perriman and Chris Hogan at receiver for at least three more weeks. Perriman and Hogan combined for just four catches and 17 yards in Week 1.

Losing the rookie second-round pick is huge for the Jets. Not just for 2020. They need to evaluate Mims to see if he’s going to be a long-term piece, and he’s now slated to miss at least the first four games of the season.

Bell and Mims become the fourth and fifth offensive players to be placed on IR, joining Cam Clark, Jeff Smith, and Vyncint Smith. The Jets are also missing Donte Moncrief who has been placed on the practice squad injured list.

The Jets also lose Blake Cashman, but that loss could be mitigated by the return of Avery Williamson. Cashman is the Jets’ best coverage linebacker, but his ability in the running game leaves a lot to be desired.

Injuries piling up on seems to be a theme with Adam Gase coached teams. This is the fourth time in Gase’s five-year career as a head coach that his team has ranked in the top six in the NFL in players on IR.

Most times nobody would blame the head coach for injuries. They’re unpredictable and usually nobodies fault. However, when it happens four out of five years, it no longer looks like random unpredictable events.

There’s no telling what Gase does differently that may lead to such injuries, but it’s an unfortunate pattern. Still, it will likely provide Gase cover during the season. After all, it’s hard to produce when you’re missing a huge chunk of your starting lineup.