Jets, Former Gators RB Lamical Perine Suffers Small Injury In Camp

After what appeared to be a great start to Lamical Perine's young NFL career, he met a roadblock in practice for the New York Jets on Sunday, suffering an ankle injury that led him to be carted off the field.

Perine and the Jets have lucked out though, it appears. Perine suffered a low-ankle sprain and is not expected to be absent from the team for long, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network following an MRI.

In a crowded Jets backfield, Perine had already begun to stand out in training camp according to various reports. Charles McDonald of the New York Daily News reports that Perine had been working with the second-team last week, breaking off on multiple long rushes in practice.

While the Jets signed three-time All-Pro running back Le'Veon Bell to a hefty contract in free agency a year ago, Perine and fellow backs Frank Gore and Josh Adams are expected to push for reps as well. Gase has often utilized multiple running backs in a committee within his offense.

During his four-year career at UF, Perine churned out 2,485 yards and 22 touchdowns across 495 carries, averaging five yards per attempt. As Florida struggled with run-blocking during his senior year and went pass-heavy, Perine grew as a receiving threat, catching 40 passes for 262 yards and five touchdowns - posting more receptions in 2019 than the previous three seasons combined (32).

Perine was invited to the 2020 Senior Bowl in his home town of Mobile, Ala. following his balanced 2019 season, where he stood out in front of NFL scouts and personnel, earning the South team's Most Outstanding Player award. The Jets ended up selecting Perine with the 120th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, in the fourth round.

You can learn more about how the Gators plan to replace Perine moving forward here.