Breece Hall, Denver Broncos
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Breece Hall #20 of the New York Jets speaks onstage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2025.
The Denver Broncos are seeking help for their roster in some key areas this offseason. One of their top needs is running back. Free agency could be the solution for the Broncos, but they face significant hurdles to get something done.
Denver has long been viewed as one of the fitting landing spots for New York Jets star Breece Hall. However, his current team knows exactly what they have in their backfield.
Still, the latest update could be enough reason for the Broncos to test their rival’s resolve.
Broncos on Jets RB’s Radar
Breece Hall, Houston Texans
GettyBreece Hall #20 of the New York Jets on the field after facing the San Francisco 49ers.
The Broncos’ need for running back help makes Hall’s fit clear. The former second-round pick also has an interest in Denver, too, though.
That is, if he can get away from New York.
“The New York Jets seem unlikely to let the RB walk, with constant buzz swirling that New York wants to extend Hall and could elect to franchise-tag him,” The Denver Post’s Luca Evans wrote on February 27.
“If Hall manages to hit free agency, though — watch out for Denver. The former Iowa State RB has a pre-existing relationship with Broncos running backs coach Lou Ayeni from Hall’s recruiting process in high school, when Ayeni was Iowa State’s RBs coach. And a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post this week that Hall has plenty of interest in joining the Broncos. It’d be a splash move for Denver, as Hall has totaled over 1,350 yards from scrimmage in each of his last three years in New York.”
Second-year Jets general manager Darren Mougey, who was with the Broncos in his prior role, said at the combine that the tags are on the table.
Either way, long-term deal or short-term, the Jets plan to have Hall in 2026.
“Breece is a good player. Want to find a way to keep him around,” Mougey told reporters on February 24. “We have a week to find out, if we can’t get to an agreement, which way we’ll go with that tag.”
Broncos Still Have Options
Breece Hall, New York Jets
GettyBreece Hall #20 of the New York Jets looks on before a game against the Carolina Panthers.
That still does not mean that the Broncos cannot end up with Hall next season, with the first reason being that there are two types of franchise tags.
The first is the exclusive rights tag. If the Jets use that, the free agency conversation is over.
Their other option is the non-exclusive rights version, which allows a different valuation for a one-year deal and–more importantly–would allow Hall to negotiate a contract with another team in free agency.
The Jets would still have the right of first refusal, meaning they could match any offer Hall received from another team.
However, they would not lock themselves into a deal for a player who wants to compete.
If they do not match the offer within five days, the Jets would be entitled to two first-round draft picks, which is why such moves are rare. The Texans have all of their first-round picks available to trade, but it is a steep price to pay for a veteran running back needing a long-term deal.
The other tag, the transition tag, is similar to the non-exclusive rights franchise version, but the Jets would not receive any draft compensation, putting it among the least likely outcomes.
Broncos Trade Pitch Lands Breece Hall
Breece Hall, Houston Texans
GettyBreece Hall #20 of the Houston Texans reacts against the Dallas Cowboys.
The final option the Broncos could hope for if they truly envision Hall as the missing piece of their roster and offense is a trade.
Franchise-tagged players can be traded after signing their offer, and have some power.
“Yes. Franchise and transition players can be traded. However, players with unsigned tenders can’t be traded until signed,” CBS Sports’ Joel Corry wrote on February 18. “A franchise or transition player essentially has a de facto no-trade clause or veto power on being dealt.”
This Heavy Sports trade pitch would send a pair of early-round picks to the Jets for Hall, presuming they tag him.
Broncos get:
Breece Hall
2026 fourth-round pick swap (No. 103)
Jets get:
2026 second-round pick (No. 62 overall)
2027 third-round pick
2026 fourth-round pick swap (No. 108 overall via NO or No. 130)
It is not the pair of firsts that the non-exclusive tag would yield. It is a more realistic return and would avoid losing Hall for free next offseason. That is, unless they plan to tag him again. The Broncos would get a proven running mate for RJ Harvey.