"Quiet down, I can hear you down the hall," rookie QB Cade Klubnik jokingly said, walking into the locker room after Thursday's practice. He was talking to Breece Hall, who was competing against the defensive backs in ping-pong before his first media availability since he sustained a quad injury in Week 3 in Detroit.
Hall is expected to be back in the backfield for the Jets' Week 9 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
"I don't think people understood how serious my injury was, but it's all behind us now," Hall said with his hands on his hips fielding questions from reporters. "I'm ready to play Sunday."
Hall fully practiced for the first time on Thursday, having been back in a limited capacity leading up to Week 6. But he was still experiencing inflammation in his quad after workouts, which prevented him from being a full participant sooner.
"It still would be really sore and stiff the day after," Hall said. "So, you know, there's no point in me having to go play a game and risking reinjury because the position I play is all me being explosive and using my quads, so there's no point in risking reinjury when I can rest while Braelon Allen [has been] playing well and get back healthy."
In Hall's absence, Allen has rushed for 504 yards since Week 4 and had a career-high 147 rushing yards against the Raiders last week.
"I think him and the O-line and the offense have caught their stride after the first three, four games, so it's going to be good to just get in there, just play some ball," Hall said.
The Jets are traveling to Kansas City with a 1-2 punch in the backfield with Hall and Allen.
"You have two number one backs," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "Breece is obviously the bell cow, he's our guy, but it'll be a mix ... I think that's always an in-game feel thing, it really is. My experience in it, because I've had that experience, I know I haven't had two guys like this."
See photos of the Jets on the practice field ahead of their Week 9 matchup with the Chiefs.
Hall and Allen are two of the six Jets players to record a single game with 100-plus yards this season. Hall recorded 102 yards in the Jets' season opening 23-10 victory over the Titans, and Allen has amassed over 100 yards from scrimmage in four consecutive games.
"I know we have two really good backs, and I'm confident they're both going to make plays," Reich said.
Hall rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and for over 100 yards in four games. He's ready to get back out there on Sunday.
"It should have been that way from game one," Hall said about him and Allen being a dual backfield threat. "But I think our whole offense, O-line, QBs, receivers, we all have to get some chemistry with each other and like I said, now the past few weeks everyone's reaching their stride and hopefully they can just insert me and I'm able to just do what I do."
