Will the Jets Bring Back Their Star Running Back in 2026?
The New York Jets have plenty of needs going into free agency, and tons of cap space to help alleviate them. Arguably the biggest story, however, isn’t about who the team will be bringing in, but who might be walking out the door. New York’s star running back Breece Hall is set to hit the open market this March, and has been the talk of the offseason for fans of the team so far. Much discourse has been had about whether or not Hall should be resigned, tagged, or even traded, and the Jets don’t have much time left to make their decision.
Hall has been a staple for the Jets’ offense since he’s been drafted. Although his statistics don’t jump off the page, with 2025 being his first and only 1000-yard rushing season, his impact is noticeable when he touches the ball. Hall is only 24, and will likely be entering the prime of his career in the coming seasons. The argument to retain Hall is pretty straightforward: why create more needs when the answer is already on your roster? Hall is a major offensive piece for a team that doesn’t have much talent at skill positions outside of Garrett Wilson, and letting Breece walk would likely end up with the Jets just looking to find someone who can match his production in free agency anyway.
Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. The Jets have many needs on their roster, and despite having the fourth-most cap space in the league, it would be questionable resource allocation to spend a significant amount of that on a running back. Then comes the argument to tag Hall. There are two kinds of tags that the Jets can use on Hall to keep him from reaching the open market. The first, and more well-known, is the Franchise Tag. The Franchise Tag would effectively force Hall to sign a one-year deal worth about $14.5 million. At that point, the argument comes down to two things: do the Jets think Hall is worth that contract, and would Hall play on the tag? If the answer is yes for both questions, then that’s the route they would most likely go. There have been reports, however, that the team instead plans to opt towards the Transition Tag. The Transition Tag would pay Hall somewhere between $11.5 to $11.9 million, but it also allows other teams to make contract offers to Breece. The Jets are then given the opportunity to match said contract. This seems to be the most likely route at this point, but nothing is certain.
Another issue is whether Hall even wants to continue playing for the Jets. He’s been vocal about wanting to play for a contender, and it’s not secret that the Jets are far from that at the moment. While of course it can be argued that every player wants to play for a contender, Breece has had multiple tweets and quotes that have gotten people speculating on his true feelings about the team. Money may help alleviate that issue, but head coach Aaron Glenn has made it clear that he only wants players that are fully committed to the team and his message. If Hall isn’t entirely bought in, the Jets may not even want to offer him a long-term deal and would focus their resources on players who are more of a culture fit. Everything is on the table at the moment, and only time will tell what direction the Jets plan on going.
