32 general managers will have some important conversations to have next week. The 2026 NFL league year officially begins on March 11th. However, eight days before that, the NFL franchise tag deadline will end. To elaborate, every offseason, GMs can designate one pending free agent with a franchise tag to retain their rights for the calendar year. As a result, the player’s salary is equal to more than the cap percentage average of the position, or 120% of the previous year’s salary. If said franchise tag is utilized, the team has until July 15th to negotiate a long-term contract extension.
This conversation is not easy to have. Especially for players looking to cash out on a bigger payday in the open market. However, New York allegedly have their answer. Drafted in 2022, running back Breece Hall will enter free agency for the first time in his career. However, after rushing 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, Darren Mougey understands that Hall is a special player. Whether a long-term contract can be reached or not, the Jets want to keep Breece Hall in New Jersey next season. Hopefully for them, it’s long-term.
Report: Jets Will Franchise Tag Breece Hall, Want Him to Stay Long Term
Darren Mougey says that Breece Hall will be with the #Jets next season. If they can’t sign him, then they will tag him.
Hall going nowhere
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) February 24, 2026
The NFL offseason is underway, and around the league, teams are trying to contemplate how to improve their rosters. That includes keeping players before they enter free agency. For the Jets, that will require more work than usual. However, there is a great opportunity to shake things up. Entering 2026, New York is well-positioned financially. As of now, New York has the fourth-largest cap space, behind only the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers. Valued at over $79 million, they have the flexibility to make some significant additions. However, they have to decide who to keep. No player has as much value to New York as Breece Hall. When speaking with the press, general manager Darren Mougey said the franchise tag for Hall is on the table. While committed to negotiating a long-term deal, Mougey wants to do what he can to keep Hall in the building.
Drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the former Iowa State running back made an immediate impact. Before an ACL tear vs. the Denver Broncos in October cost him his rookie season, Hall already had nearly 700 scrimmage yards. After recovering, he followed up with 994 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns. However, attempting to appease quarterback Aaron Rodgers by becoming a pass-centric offense, Hall’s production took a slight dip in 2024. After moving on from the veteran quarterback, new head coach Aaron Glenn emphasized the run game. As a result, Breece Hall ran for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career in 2025.
Breece Hall has to be a Jet one way or another in 2026. pic.twitter.com/aCyPFWxBBC
— The Jake Asman Show (@JakeAsmanShow) February 24, 2026
Breece Hall is crucial for New York’s offense
While the Jets as a whole were bad in 2025, the running game wasn’t to blame. Due to the hardwork of Breece Hall alone, New York finished the year as a top-10 running team. Despite losing projected backup Braelon Allen to a knee injury, Breece Hall & Isaiah Davis were the workhorses. In addition, Hall demonstrated his value as a receiver. From 2023, Hall caught 169 passes for a total of 1,424 yards. That’s an average of 8.4 yards per catch.
If New York wants to improve on its league-worst passing offense, it needs to involve Breece Hall more, regardless of who is under center. Retaining Breece Hall via franchise tag will cost New York just over $14 million. While some think it’s impractical to make such a financial commitment to a position that can leave some unsettled, Hall’s value is too great. In addition, there’s no guarantee of finding a replacement in the draft to replace Hall’s value.
2026 NFL Draft Running Backs
With less than 70 days until the NFL Draft, prospects are currently in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. This year’s running back class has some impressive prospects. The star of the class is projected top 10 pick, Jeremiyah Love. In the past two seasons at Notre Dame, Love had just under 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. Love is going to be highly coveted. However, can New York justify using the second overall pick on a running back? Especially with their needs on defense?
After Love, they could theoretically pursue fellow Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price. While not as utilized as Love, Price contributed greatly to the Fighting Irish offense, contributing 11 rushing touchdowns last year. But it’s hard to justify using a second-round pick on a backup running back. In addition, Jonah Coleman from Washington and Emmett Johnson from Nebraska are also going to generate interest. However, it’s hard to see either option equating to Hall’s production.
New York should do everything it can to keep Breece Hall
The Jets have a lot of issues to sort out this season. Aaron Glenn knows he’s on the hot seat, so he’s committed to doing everything he can to improve their defense. With their four draft picks within the top 50 and top five cap space, they will have plenty of chances to do so. However, in this pursuit of improvement, it shouldn’t come at the cost of their most productive unit.
It will be worth a lot of money to keep Breece Hall long term, but that’s the cost of matching compensation for top talent. Yes, the Jets are a bad football team. But can you imagine how much worse they’d be if Breece Hall wasn’t here?
Main Photo: [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] – Imagn Images