For their game last week against the Chicago Bears, the New York Jets surprisingly declared recently acquired running back James Robinson a healthy inactive. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Robinson unsurprisingly revealed that he was not happy with the decision.
“Obviously, I didn’t come here not to play,” Robinson said, according to ESPN. “Obviously, they brought me here for a reason. I don’t expect anything unless I work for it, and I’ve been working my ass off. Me not playing pisses me off.”
In Robinson’s place, the Jets went with rookie Zonovan Knight, who had yet to be active for a game this season. Knight took the opportunity and (literally) ran with it, working alongside and then in place of Michael Carter and totaling 103 yards on 17 touches (14 carries for 69 yards and three receptions for 34 yards).
Jets head coach Robert Saleh explained the decision to go with Knight, as well as why he found success in his first game action. “He’s a one-cut runner, which is kind of the staple of our scheme, and he played fast, he played physical,” Saleh said, per The Athletic.
Robinson, who is coming off a ruptured Achilles suffered last season, was surpassed on the Jaguars‘ depth chart by Travis Etienne before he was traded to New York following a season-ending injury to rookie Breece Hall. He gained 340 yards on 81 carries across his seven games in Jacksonville, but totaled only 75 yards on 25 totes in his first three games with the Jets. It remains to be seen whether he will be active for future games, but with Carter and Knight having more success on the ground and Ty Johnson being a special teams contributor while Robinson is not, it wouldn’t be surprising if Robinson had to sit out a few more times.
