Florham Park, N.J. — In the New York Jets’ first preseason game on Friday night, Braelon Allen delivered one of the top plays of the game, rushing for a 31-yard touchdown.
Allen finished the game with 44 yards on four carries in his first game back on the field after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 of the 2025 season. Since then, he’s bulked up to 250 pounds.
Is the Wisconsin product turning a corner?
Is Allen a different animal in 2026?
This is a make-or-break year for the running back.
In his rookie campaign, Allen was inefficient as the Jets’ No. 2 running back behind Breece Hall, rushing for 334 yards and two touchdowns on 92 carries (3.6 yards per attempt). He added 19 receptions on 27 targets for 148 yards and one touchdown (5.5 yards per target).
However, the entire 2024 Jets offense struggled under offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Going into 2025, under a new, younger OC in Tanner Engstrand, the hope was that Allen could take a step forward, still only 21 years old.
In four games, Allen rushed for 76 yards on 18 carries (4.2 yards per attempt) before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Shortly before his injury, he lost a costly fumble near the goal line.
Entering his third season, Allen is looking to prove his worth under a third play-caller, Frank Reich.
Efficiency will be the key.
Allen’s top competitor in the backfield, Isaiah Davis, has averaged 5.6 yards per carry in 33 career games. Davis has also been more efficient as a receiver, shown more reliable hands, and provided better pass protection.
All-around, Davis has been a more valuable contributor, although Allen’s size and power make him the type of player who could certainly thrive in a situational role.
So far, in regular season action, Allen has shown a far more limited game than Davis, particularly in terms of long speed. Across 131 career touches, Allen’s longest play went for just 20 yards.
Given that, Friday’s 31-yard touchdown run is technically the longest play of his NFL career, although it won’t count since it was in preseason action.
It would seem that Allen’s bulk-up is likelier to hurt his explosiveness than help it. His touchdown run on Friday night provided some evidence to the contrary, although it came against backups in the preseason. That has never been his bread and butter.
It’s fair to argue that Allen’s weight gain is a good thing. Not only will it provide him with more power and help him further lean into his strong suit as a short-yardage back, but his body fat is also the lowest it’s ever been, so Allen can maintain his quickness, as he showed on Friday.
Allen is the type of player who would shine in a specialized role with the Jets. He’s not nearly as complete a player as Davis is, but he could certainly have a long-term future as a situational back.
If the Jets embrace what he does best, there is a clear role for Allen in the backfield.
