Jets are releasing Zac Stacy after a failed physical. He’s not fully recovered from a broken ankle last year. And now it looks like he’s going from rookie surprise to right out of the league, which is surprising.

Just three years ago, Stacy was a fifth-rounder who moved into the starting lineup and was one of the most surprising players of that 2013 season. He gave a spark to the St. Louis backfield, averaging 81 rushing and 12 receiving yards in the 12 games he started, with 8 TDs.

Among running backs who’ve started at least half of the time, those were the 23rd best numbers by a running back in the last three years.

But Stacy never had special size or speed, and the Rams quickly soured on him. He’d lost his starting job before he got halfway through his second season, and then they just dumped him entirely. Stacy made no impact with the Jets, and now I’m guessing he’s been on a regular-season roster for the last time.

New York is replacing him with Bernard Pierce (another velocity challenged veteran that might never get another regular-season carry).

It’s said that NFL stands for Not For Long.

Here are the top 25 running backs from the last three years, using standard scoring. These are per-game numbers.

PER-GAME RUNNING BACKS; LAST 3 YEARS
YearPlayerStRunRecTotalTDPoints
2013Jamaal Charles, K.C.1586461321.2720.8
2014DeMarco Murray, Dall.1611526141.8119.0
2014Arian Foster, Hou.1396251211.0018.1
2014LeVeon Bell, Pitt.168553138.6918.0
2015DeAngelo Williams, Pitt.1080321121.1017.8
2015Devonta Freeman, Atl.1378401181.0017.8
2013LeSean McCoy, Phil.1610034134.6917.5
2014Marshawn Lynch, Sea.1682231051.0616.8
2013Matt Forte, Chi.168437121.7516.6
2015Todd Gurley, St.L.129115107.8315.7
2014Matt Forte, Chi.166551115.6315.3
2014Jeremy Hill, Cin.91039113.6715.3
2013Marshawn Lynch, Sea.16792098.8815.1
2013Adrian Peterson, Minn.149012103.7915.0
2015Adrian Peterson, Minn.169314107.6914.8
2013DeMarco Murray, Dall.148025105.7114.8
2013Knowshon Moreno, Mia.16653499.8114.8
2014Eddie Lacy, G.B.16712798.8114.7
2014Jamaal Charles, K.C.15691988.9314.4
2013Eddie Lacy, G.B.15791796.7314.0
2013Reggie Bush, Det.147236108.5013.8
2013LeVeon Bell, Pitt.13663197.6213.4
2013Zac Stacy, St.L.12811293.6713.3
2015Matt Forte, Chi.13693099.5413.1
2015Doug Martin, T.B.168817105.4413.1

—Ian Allan