It appears Zonovan “Bam” Knight is the odd man out in the New York Jets running back competition. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Jets are releasing the second-year pro.
Knight’s chances of making the opening 53-man roster diminished considerably when the Jets signed Dalvin Cook two weeks ago. Cook is a four-time Pro Bowl back who’s rushed for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons.
With Cook and Breece Hall expected to be the lead running backs, Knight had to beat out third-year pro Michael Carter or rookie Izzy Abanikanda for a roster spot.
Carter is coming off a poor 2022 season and wasn’t overly impressive in the preseason and Abanikanda is out with a thigh contusion. But each finished ahead of Knight on the depth chart.
Knight was a great story for the Jets last season. An undrafted free agent, Knight had a strong preseason, was signed to the practice squad and ended up appearing in seven games, starting four, after Hall sustained a torn ACL.
The 22-year-old rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries in a Week 13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and had 71 yards on 17 carries the next week against the Buffalo Bills. However, he slowed down the stretch, totaling 70 yards on 39 carries the final four games. He gained 300 yards and averaged 3.5 yards per carry in 2022.
Rapoport reported that the Jets had some trade interest in Knight before deciding to cut him. There’d appear to be a good chance he will be claimed off waivers and his NFL career will continue outside of New York.
The Jets also released wide receiver Alex Erickson in a slew of roster cuts the team made on Monday.