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New York Jets running back Braelon Allen reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen is back and better than ever.

The team released some photos from its voluntary workouts, and one is going viral. In the photo, Allen is shown going through a workout with what appears to be at least a six-pack, sculpted arms, defined legs, and a stoic expression.

“He looks healthy and ready for this upcoming season,” one fan responded.

A fan’s first reaction was, “Dude is jacked.”

“Kid gonna be on some D Henry [expletive] but better watch! Let’s go 💪🏾✈️,” a fan warned.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

During the Week 4 Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins last season, Allen suffered an MCL sprain. He eventually went under the knife to have surgery to repair it.

Ultimatley he was lost for the season and would not return. How has the rehab been going? Will he be ready for the season? How confident are the Jets in him?

Head coach Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey have been asked about it for months, and they have provided some type of answers. However, actions speak louder than words.

Look at the results of the 2026 NFL draft.

The Jets ended up with eight picks across the seven rounds of April’s draft. They didn’t take a single running back. That speaks volumes. It clearly indicates that they expect Allen to be a key cog in this rushing attack in 2026.

If they were worried at all about his rehab, the team would have taken an insurance policy in the draft by adding another RB to the room.

Time to Realize His Full Potential

Allen, 22, still has two years remaining on his $4.5 million rookie contract. Through the first two years of his NFL career, there have certainly been flashes.

Allen has appeared in 21 games and has made two starts. With those opportunities, he has toted the rock 110 times for 410 rushing yards and has scored three rushing touchdowns.

Through the air, he has hauled in 21 receptions on 30 targets for 165 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

“A balanced, one-cut athlete, Allen shows a great feel for lane development,
especially on inside/outside zone. He can run with either finesse or physicality, depending on the situation (69.5 percent of his yardage came after contact in 2023),” Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote in “The Beast” back in 2024.

“Overall, Allen isn’t overly creative and doesn’t run with as much nastiness as his size suggests, but he is well built with the vision, feet, and overall feel to maximize the run
design. He has the talent and third-down potential to be a productive NFL tandem back, similar to Tyler Allgeier,” Brugler added.

Where Does He Fit In?

The offensive coordinator carousel continues to spin.

Allen has been in the league for three years. He is set to have his fourth different offensive coordinator. Nathaniel Hackett started things off before he was demoted and later fired in 2024. When that transpired, Todd Downing took over in 2024. 2025 was the year of Tanner Engstrand, but he was fired this offseason. This upcoming season will feature Frank Reich.

Is the fourth time the charm? Is that how the idiom goes?

Breece Hall received the franchise tag this offseason. The Jets will pay him a lot of money either with that maneuver or with a long-term deal. They didn’t pay him to look pretty, so that’ll likely mean a large slice of the offense is coming his way. However, Hall can’t play 100% of the snaps.

There will be some meat left on the bone that Allen should be able to take advantage of. Just some advice for the team: maybe keep Allen away from kickoff returns in the future.