NY Jets: Kalen Ballage trade falls through after failed physical

The NY Jets won’t be trading for Kalen Ballage after all following a failed physical.

The NY Jets‘ running back depth took a serious hit on Monday with the latest news regarding running back Kalen Ballage who was expected to join the team in the coming days.

The Jets reportedly traded for the Miami Dolphins running back on Thursday in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick. However, on Monday it was reported that the deal had fallen through as a result of a failed physical.

As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ballage will revert back to the Dolphins after a hamstring injury popped up on his physical. Rapoport also indicated that Miami is likely to release him as a result — something they were set to do before the Jets swooped in with a trade offer.

The Jets hoped that Ballage, who had been buried on the depth chart in Miami, would serve as valuable running back depth. Unfortunately, he won’t be joining the team — at least not yet.

There’s always a chance that the Jets opt to trade for Ballage again once he’s healthy or, perhaps more likely, that the Dolphins simply waive him and the Jets attempt to pick him up.

This might not be the last we hear of Ballage. But at least for now, the Jets will have to turn to other answers for running back depth.

The loss of Kalen Ballage certainly hurts the NY Jets’ running back depth.

And that depth is more important than ever following a potentially major injury suffered by rookie fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine during Sunday’s practice. Perine was carted off with an ankle injury and is set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

But it’s not looking good.

Backup running back Josh Adams also remains out with a hamstring injury meaning that the Jets currently have two healthy running backs on the roster in Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore.

That obviously can’t be the case and expect the team to make a move or two in the very near future.

As for Ballage, he’ll head back to Miami — although it likely won’t be for long. The Dolphins will very likely either trade him to a new suitor or just waive him with an injury designation.

The only chance he sticks around with the Dolphins is if he’s waived with that injury designation and no one claims him. Either way, his future with the organization isn’t very promising.

Perhaps the Jets make another run at Ballage in the future. But for now, they’ll have to search for help elsewhere.