Jerome Ford's Jets Workout Could Hint at Isaiah Davis's Week 1 Status

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL campaign is finally here, and the New York Jets are busy preparing for Sunday's season-opening clash with the Tennessee Titans. Starting Year 2 of the Aaron Glenn era with a victory over former head coach Robert Saleh would start Gang Green's season on the right foot, no doubt, which is why Glenn & Co. will need all hands on deck to pick up the win this weekend.

The Jets will likely be shorthanded, though, and banged up coming out of another grueling offseason, including third-year running back Isaiah Davis. The former 2024 fifth-round pick has been dealing with a knee injury since the start of August that forced him to miss practice and preseason action.

Although Davis hasn't been ruled out from facing the Titans just yet, the Jets' latest workout activity could hint at an impending absence. On Monday, KPRC 2 Houston's Aaron Wilson reported that New York "worked out" 26-year-old RB Jerome Ford, who signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency but was released via injury settlement last month.

#Jets worked out Jerome Ford
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 7, 2026

Again, nothing is guaranteed just yet; however, reading between the lines suggests that the Jets' interest in Ford may mean Davis won't be available this weekend.

Isaiah Davis looks like a question mark after Jets work out Jerome Ford

Entering his third NFL season, Davis is expected to compete with Braelon Allen for the RB2 responsibilities behind lead back Breece Hall. The former South Dakota State product has shown plenty of promise early in his career, averaging a whopping 5.6 yards on 73 carries and a solid 8.7 yards on 30 receptions, scoring three total touchdowns along the way.

But now that potential could be put on hold, especially if Ford's workout is an indication.

The latest update on Davis's situation came last Wednesday, when The Athletic's Zach Rosenblatt reported that the Joplin, MO native missed another practice due to his knee injury. Even if he manages to participate in any of this week's sessions, Davis might need more time before he's in game shape after barely practicing in August.

Isaiah Davis runs in practice. — The Jets might want to slowly ramp Isaiah Davis up after all the time he missed last month with his knee injury. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Obviously, Hall and Allen are more than capable of leading the Jets' backfield in any given week. It's the depth beyond the dynamic duo that is a question mark, with Davis potentially missing more time. As of Tuesday morning, Kene Nwangwu is the only other RB on the 53-man roster, and chances are that New York would prefer to have him focusing on special teams.

Given that Al-Jay Henderson is the only practice squad RB and an undrafted rookie lacking NFL experience, working out a veteran like Ford makes all the sense in the world. He isn't the flashiest name, but he boasts experience, starting 18 of his 57 appearances with the Browns, converting 340 carries into 1,463 rushing yards, 107 catches into 647 receiving yards, and scoring 12 touchdowns along the way.

Whether Ford ends up with a practice squad contract or not, let's hope that Davis quickly recovers and rejoins his teammates sooner rather than later. The talented runner was making waves in training camp before his knee injury derailed his moment, highlighted by praise from Sports Illustrated's Nick Faria on July 31.

Through the first two practices of camp, Davis has been excellent in limited reps. His biggest calling card has been his vision and burst off the line of scrimmage. When a small crevice opens up, Davis is able to make people pay.
Nick Faria, Jets On SI

Hopefully, Davis can pick up from where he left off whenever he's healthy enough to rejoin the Jets.

In the meantime, though, expect Hall and Allen to lead New York's backfield into a Week 1 showdown against a Tennessee team that was middle of the pack against the run last year, allowing 114.6 rushing yards per game (15th) and 4.3 yards per carry (T-14th). Whether or not Ford is added to the taxi squad and promoted for the season opener remains to be seen.

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