Breece

Hall

The Jets traded away two star defenders as they began an organizational reset last season. They reportedly received offers for their star running back as well, but ultimately decided against trading him away. Hall’s new deal averages $15.25 million per year and makes him the NFL’s third-highest-paid running back. That said, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes that the contract’s third year has no guaranteed money, so this could end up being a two-year deal. Hall totaled 36 receptions, 1,415 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns last season, finishing as the PPR RB19. Given the Jets’ offensive personnel upgrades and the team’s vote of confidence in their star rusher, Hall has decent odds of beating that season-long finish this year.

Mougey said “things are in a good place” with Hall, who he hopes to sign to a long-term extension this offseason. Mougey is in his second season as the Jets’ GM and opted to franchise tag Hall this offseason in hopes of working out a deal, but there’s some belief that Hall would prefer to play elsewhere than spend the remainder of his prime years with the Jets. Hall rushed for 243-1,065-4 last season while playing in one of the league’s worst offenses, and has already endured four difficult seasons with Gang Green. If he and the Jets can’t agree to a long-term deal, he will likely play out 2026 on the tag with hopes of being a free agent next offseason.

The other 40 percent here, of course, ends with Hall playing on the franchise tag. Hall is entering his age-25 season so a reasonable running back contract feels like it has a good chance of not being a millstone for the Jets, the question appears to just boil down to how valuable Hall will be over those years for a New York team that doesn’t appear close to playoff-worthy. Given how far away the Jets and Hall appeared to be at the franchise tag deadline, we wouldn’t be surprised if he played on the tag this year.

The Jets could still deal Hall to a contender this offseason after the veteran seemed unhappy about not making his way out of New York before last year’s trade deadline. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Hall and the Jets front office “continue to try to hammer out a lucrative long-term deal,” however. Entering his age-25 season, Hall is unlikely to play for the Jets if the team sees interest from a few running back-needy teams this spring and summer. He has averaged 60.7 rushing yards per game and 29.4 receiving yards over 56 appearances for the Jets since 2022. Last year he notched a career high receiving success rate. He eclipsed 100 rushing yards in just four games.

What kind of tag the Jets place on Hall remains up in the air. Regardless, it doesn’t sound like the veteran running back will be hitting the open market when free agency opens next month. Hall rushed for 243-1065-4 last season while adding another 36-350-1 through the air. Once tagged, the question shifts to whether or not Hall would be willing to play on the tag and/or sign a new deal with the Jets, or if he will try to force his way out of town via trade. There’s been some belief that Hall would like to move on from the team that has gone 22-46 since drafting him in 2022, so it will be interesting to see how things develop once he is tagged.

It sure seems like the Jets, who had offers to deal Hall for a fourth-round pick at the trade deadline, will simply stick with their back entering his age-25 season one way or another. It’ll be a boon for the other running backs on the free agent market to have Hall off the board early. The Jets seem likely to again focus on being a run-first offense given how weak their quarterback room is, so Hall should be a reasonable RB2 if he returns.

Cimini notes that this would be the ideal situation for the Jets, while also pointing out that Hall has “been dropping hints for months that he might want to move on” from Gang Green. Hall’s impending free agency includes a handful of scenarios that could play out. While he could re-sign with the Jets outright, it’s also possible the team lets him walk, uses the franchise tag to keep him in place and potentially buy time for a long-term deal or a trade, or they could use the transition tag which allows Hall to seek other deals while giving the Jets the right of first refusal to match any offer Hall may receive. Hall would be a coveted running back on the open market, and has bell cow back traits that allow him to stay on the field for all three downs. He’ll only be 25 at the start of this season, and has appeared in 16 or more games in each of the last three seasons since tearing his ACL as a rookie in 2022.

The 2026 transition tag for running backs is expected to fall between $11.5 million and $11.9 million. Applying this tag would allow Hall to shop the contract around the NFL. If another team ups the offer, the Jets will have the chance to match the new offer. Florio notes, however, if the Jets decline to match the new offer, Hall’s departure would not count toward the “next year’s slate of compensatory draft picks” because he is not leaving the team via the typical free agency fashion. If the Jets “catch wind” of a potentially serious suitor, they can rescind the transition tag before an official counteroffer is made, rendering Hall a free agent and restoring his compensatory pick viability.

Cimini connects these dots through new head coach Mike LaFleur, who coached Hall with the Jets. Arizona’s backfield is in a major state of flux after all of last season’s backs (James Conner, Trey Benson, Zonovan Knight) suffered season-ending injuries. It’s a vacuum where Hall would make sense. Cimini believes the Jets would like to extend Hall before he hits the open market, but may wind up using the franchise or transition tags instead — or on the way to — a deal.

Rosenblatt added that “it feels likely that the Jets slap Hall with the non-exclusive franchise tag or the transition tag and then figure something out from there.” Hall is among the players likely to be tagged in the coming weeks to prevent him from exploring free agency and leaving a Jets team from which he has grown distant in recent years. Last year after the Jets completed a fire sale of their top players, Hall’s social media posts strongly implied he wanted out of New York. Rosenblatt said it’s “notable that in a year in which Hall surpassed 1,000 rushing yards — the first time a Jet has done that since 2015 — he did not win Team MVP, an award voted on by his teammates.” Hall, who will be 25 in May, has averaged 60.7 rushing yards per game and 29.4 receiving yards over 56 appearances for the Jets since 2022. Last year he notched a career high receiving success rate. He eclipsed 100 rushing yards in just four games.