An upsetting loss for the New York Jets might become even costlier, as Le’Veon Bell could miss time with hamstring woes.
Adam Gase says ILB Blake Cashman (groin) and RB Le'Veon Bell (hamstring) could both miss a couple of weeks.
'I don't want to put a timetable on them… Time will tell.'
— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) September 14, 2020
Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season ends on Monday, but the New York Jets are already taking on multiple losses.
Head coach Adam Gase revealed on Monday afternoon that both running back Le’Veon Bell (hamstring) and linebacker Blake Cashman (groin) may miss significant time with injures. According to team reporter Eric Allen, Gase didn’t “want to put a timetable on them”, but projected that they could be out for at least “a couple weeks”.
The Jets (0-1) will face the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers next Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox) before hitting the road again to take on the Indianapolis Colts.
It marks the latest setback for Bell, whose Jets career continues to be a struggle since he inked a four-year, $52.5 million contract in 2019. He struggled in his first full season with the team, earning 16-game lows of 789 yards and three touchdowns. Sunday was more of a strive, as he only earned 14 yards on six carries before the injury kept him out of a majority of the second half. The Jets fell by a 27-17 final to the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park in their 2020 debut.
After the game, Gase expressed regret over keeping Bell in the game as long as he did.
“I’m mad at myself that I let him back in there in the second half,” Gase said. “He got grabbed and the way he planted and torqued, it looked really bad. I saw him grab his hamstring and he wouldn’t come out. When we came in at halftime, I let him go back in there. I was worried about it. Eventually, I was like, ‘I can’t put you in there. We can’t take a chance of getting more hurt than you already are.”
If Bell is out, the Jets will likely continue to use reserves Frank Gore and Josh Adams. Gore led the Jets with 24 rushing yards on six carries, while Adams scored the final touchdown of Sunday’s game, his first since 2018 as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets also have fourth-round pick and Florida rookie La’Mical Perine on their roster, but he missed Week 1’s game with an ankle injury.
Further injury woes have also come to the sophomore Cashman, who did an admirable job filling in for the injured C.J. Mosley last season before succumbing to an injury of his own. Cashman had one tackle against Buffalo prior to his departure.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags