The New York Jets are not only this year’s Hard Knocks team but they were also chosen for the 2023 Hall of Fame Game against the Cleveland Browns. This gives them an extra game to evaluate their talent as they start to make roster decisions for the 2023 regular season. With the extra game, the expected Week 1 starters were given rest, which allowed the depth to come to the forefront. With Breece Hall, Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight on the sideline, rookie RB Israel Abanikanda got the starting nod in the backfield.
Here we’ll take a look at the workload for the Jets rookie in Week 1 of the preseason and how he performed during his reps.
Israel Abanikanda’s Week 1 stat line
Abanikanda had nine carries for 27 yards and a touchdown before coming out of the game. He added one reception for five yards.
How did Israel Abanikanda perform in Week 1?
The rookie out of Pittsburgh looked solid in his preseason debut. He scampered for a 10-yard score early in the second quarter to push the game to 13-0. The backfield is loaded when healthy, and it remains to be seen how many running backs New York is willing to roster in the regular season. To make things more convoluted, the team is interested in signing free-agent running back Dalvin Cook. For now, though, Abanikanda put forth a good effort in his NFL preseason debut.