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In a bit of housekeeping news, the Jets placed running back Matt Forte on injured reserve, officially ending the back’s first season in green and white
The @nyjets place RB Matt Forte on IR; add CB Bryson Keeton from p-squad.
— NYJ Communications (@NYJetsPR) December 30, 2016
Story: https://t.co/vlUOBGkJMO
Roster: https://t.co/XzXsTLQfQS
Forte ends 2016 with 1,063 yards from scrimmage, but it will go down as a disappointing first year with the team. He averaged only 3.7 yards per run and had a career low 30 receptions.
It has been clear that Forte has been slowing down as a runner for the last few seasons, but he remains one of the top pass catching backs of his generation. Why the Jets then had him in the top ten among carries through Week 12 and only targeted him 43 times in the passing game is one of the biggest mysteries of the season.
This move isn’t necessarily consequential. It simply gives the Jets space to put Keeton onto the active roster. With Keeton on the active roster, the team will not need to immediately sign him to a reserve/future contract to keep his rights for training camp in 2017. Had they not, Keeton theoretically could have signed a reserve/future deal with another team.