Michael Carter will miss games against Houston and Philadelphia

In the latest episode of “The New York Jets Can’t Have Nice Things”, rookie sensation Michael Carter has been sidelined with an ankle injury.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the fourth-round pick and the Jets’ top rusher will miss at least the next two games with a “low-grade high ankle sprain” sustained during Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Carter earned 63 yards on nine carries before the injury forced him to depart and kept him out for the entirety of the second half. His longest carry, a 39-yard rush in the first quarter, set up the Jets’ first touchdown of the day.

Head coach Robert Saleh said on Monday that the Jets will wait as long as it takes for Carter to get fully healthy before having him return to the field.

“We’ll know more by the end of the week. But it is a high ankle sprain,” Saleh said, per notes from the Jets. “So, there’s a lot of things that we’re looking at. It looks like it’s low grade, two-to-four, two-to-three, whatever you want to call it. But we’re going to make sure that he is healthy…we’re going to make sure that ankle is fully healthy before we rush him back.”

Carter has been one of the Jets’ most consistent silver linings as they work through another woebegone season. Entering Monday’s NFL action, Carter ranked third amongst rookies in yards from scrimmage with 738. His tally of 430 rushing yards is already good for 10th all-time for a freshman runner in Jets history.

“He’s one of those young spots I’m talking about. He’s been getting better every week and every time he touches the ball, he makes someone miss,” Saleh said of the North Carolina alum’s rookie campaign to date. “If the o-line blocks the run for nothing, he’s finding three. If they block it for five, he’s finding eight, nine, 10. He’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands, so him missing this time where he can get better, obviously a blow for him.”

In Carter’s absence, Saleh said he expected Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson, and La’Mical Perine to pick up the rushing slack. Johnson is currently fourth on the Jets with 415 yards from scrimmage while injuries have prevented Coleman, formerly of Atlanta and San Francisco, from making an impact. Perine, a fourth-round pick from 2020, has been limited to a single carry this season and has appeared in only three games.

New York (2-8) return to action on Sunday afternoon against the Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS).

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags