Age is just a number. And we don't have to go any further for evidence of that than to No. 0 on the Jets, RB Braelon Allen.
Allen was the youngest player in the NFL this season — and didn't even turn 21 until just this week. But the rookie back played like a slightly older, more polished athlete in his mid-20s with several pro seasons under his belt.
"I definitely knew I was ready for this level. That's the reason that I decided to declare," Allen, the fourth-round selection out of Wisconsin, told newyorkjets.com's Caroline Hendershot once the Jets' season had concluded. "It was just a matter of making sure I could do it and then actually doing it, getting those game reps. And at the end of the day, football is just football."
And Allen was just a young phenom about to emerge from the ranks of the league's young backs. Playing in all 17 games, he finished the season with 334 yards on 92 carries and added 148 yards on 19 receptions. He also showed that versatility in scoring on a 12-yard catch from Aaron Rodgers and a 20-yard run in Week 2 at Tennessee, then added a 2-yard rushing score at New England.
"I would say probably just trying to be a reliable option for Aaron in the passing game," he said of the biggest difference for him between college and the pros. "I caught the ball a little bit in college but nothing too much. Obviously, Aaron's known for getting the ball out quick and hitting his checkdowns, so you've just got to be ready for the ball. That's an area of my game I wanted to improve."
His work continued throughout the season and led to several impressive team and league distinctions:
■ His 334 rushing yards were the most in a season by any NFL back under the age of 21 since at least 1973.
■ His 482 scrimmage yards were the most in a season by any NFL back that young since '73. The only other player younger than 21 to gain more yards was JuJu Smith Schuster, who had 568 yards as a Steelers rookie WR in 2017.
■ We've detailed Allen's remarkable success in converting third-and-1's, moving the chains all nine times he got the ball in that situation. Only one other Jets RB had 9-plus conversions without a miss: Shonn Greene, who was 10-for-10 as a fourth-year Jet in 2012.
■ But broadening the category to all third-down rushing attempts, Allen converted on 11 of his 12 carries, a 91.7% rate that was not only the best among all NFL backs this past regular season but the best by any back from 2021-24.
"It was definitely a special season in that regard, being the youngest to do this and do that," Allen said. "It was really cool, something that hopefully will never be topped. But of course I wanted more and I'm not satisfied, not even close."
He'll come back this offseason and regular season as a part of the Jets' changing landscape, with a new head coach and general manager, possibly a new starting quarterback, and other new teammates of either the drafted or free agent variety. All that change could mess with the mindset of a young NFL player. But Allen seems built to handle that kind of upheaval at the ripe old age of 21.
"Next year is kind of like my real rookie season, I feel like, being about the same age as everybody [in the 2025 rookie class] or maybe still a little younger," he said. "I'm just ready to get back to work and improve and come back hungry."
