Valentine Holmes scored a touchdown in New York Jets practise and received some high praise from coach Adam Gase, but the franchise's depth charts tell a different story.
Holmes set tongues wagging when he outpaced the defence to finish off a touchdown in training this week.
Footage of the play was immediately cut up by the Jets' media team and published across social media with the caption: "that's a smooth play there, mate."
That's a smooth play there, mate.@val_holmes1 | #JetsCamp pic.twitter.com/jjOBWCKgH3
— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 6, 2019
A few members of the local media reportedly remarked on the play, but others pointed out that he was training with the third and fourth team when he made it.
The Jets will play their first preseason game against the Giants on Friday morning, Australian time, and with a number of their big stars not scheduled to play, Holmes is expected to get some game time late in the third or fourth quarters.
After a couple of months at practise, Jets coach Adam Gase said he's looking forward to seeing what Holmes can do in a game situation.
"I'm excited to see him get to play in some games and just kind of see how he reacts to all of that," Gase said this week.
Like Jarryd Hayne before him, Holmes is facing an uphill battle to learn the NFL playbook and put it all together out on the field, but Gase said he's slowly "picking up the offence.
"That hasn't really been his issue," Gase said.
"It's just when everything starts moving super fast he's trying to get used to that and I think it's starting to work for him.
"It's slowing down for him and I think it'll just keep slowing down."
Despite the coach's comments, Holmes' hopes of playing in the NFL took a hit when the Jets released an unofficial depth chart on its website.
Holmes was ranked as the sixth and last running back, behind superstar Le'Veon Bell as well as Ty Montgomery, Bilal Powell, Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon.
In addition, Holmes wasn't even listed as a wide receiver or a punt returner.
Holmes has four preseason games to prove his worth before the Jets cut their 90-man roster to a squad of 53 on September 8.
He's a long shot of making the 53, but if he doesn't, Holmes is guaranteed a spot on the Jets' practise squad courtesy of his place in the NFL International Pathway program.
Practise squad players train alongside the team but cannot play any NFL football.
