James Robinson was not playing like himself after coming to the New York Jets in a midseason trade to replace Breece Hall. Robinson ranked last among qualified NFL running backs with 1.8 yards after contact per carry across his first three games as a Jet.
New York knew Robinson would not replicate Hall’s home-run-hitting ability. The hope was that Robinson could make an impact as a gritty runner between the tackles who can get tough yards to keep the offense ahead of the chains. He wasn’t doing that, leaving him as a very limited player.