La’Mical Perine tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday morning and has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Perine is the first Jets player to test positive for coronavirus this season. Contact tracing is underway to determine if any other players were close contacts to Perine. New York does not currently know how many players are going to be out against the Patriots Sunday following Perine’s positive test result, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes.
Perine returned to the field after a month out of action due to an ankle injury against the Browns in Week 16, rushing for 30 yards on nine carries and catching two passes for 14 yards. The fourth-round pick out of Florida has accumulated 232 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 11 receptions for 63 yards out of the backfield in his rookie season.
With Frank Gore (lung contusion) and Perine out for Week 17, the Jets’ running back room is now down to Josh Adams and Ty Johnson. If either Adams or Johnson are deemed close contacts to Perine and land on the reserve/COVID-19 list, New York will be even thinner at the position when it travels to New England to wrap up the 2020 season.