This couldn’t have been the way Jets running back Breece Hall envisioned things playing out heading into his fourth NFL season.
Not when just a year ago, Hall was widely viewed as one of the NFL’s brightest rising stars after finishing 2023 at No. 4 in yards from scrimmage, despite being less than 100% as he recovered from a torn ACL. Last summer, the biggest question about Hall’s future was if the Jets would be willing to commit long-term to when he became eligible for an extension after the season.
But Hall struggled through 2024, struggling to protect the ball and break through contact at the line of scrimmage. His production dropped off (he finished 16th in yards from scrimmage) and admitted he had lost some confidence.
The conversation around Hall has shifted just as drastically: The trade rumors started in January and continue even today, linking Hall to destinations across the league with the perfect offense for him to return to form. And instead of wondering if Hall will challenge for the most yards in the NFL this season, many are wondering if Hall will lose valuable reps to the two talented running backs the Jets drafted last year.
It would be understandable if Hall was a little bothered, even bitter, about the way things have played out, especially after watching teammates from his draft class, cornerback Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson, get big-money extensions this offseason and seeing fellow fourth year running backs, like the Bills’ James Cook and the Rams’ Kyren Williams, land their own lucrative new deals.
But when Hall was asked this week about what the Cook and Williams extension could mean for him, there was none of that. Just a calm, accurate assessment of his current circumstances.
“They’ve done much more in the league than I have,” Hall said after Wednesday’s joint practice with the Giants. “They’ve been in better situations, and they’re both very good players.”
Hall isn’t wrong about any of that. Hall’s production, obviously, has lagged behind both Williams and Cook. And both have been in far better offensive situations. The Jets were an offensive disaster the last two years as they tailored their attack to fit Aaron Rodgers and little else.
The best way to sum it up: Hall was on pace to lead NFL running backs in receiving as a rookie in 2022, before he suffered a season-ending injury. And yet former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett revealed publicly at the end of his first season coaching Hall, that he “wasn’t ready” for Hall to be “as productive as he was in the passing game” and that he didn’t realize Hall had that potential until halfway through the season.
It’s not an excuse. Those guys were in better situations than Hall. And Hall acknowledging that publicly isn’t a red flag, it’s a sign that his confidence is returning. “For me, I feel like I’m just as talented as anyone,” Hall said. “But those guys are two really good running backs, and they deserve their payday, and I’m happy for them.”
And you can also bet Hall is motivated to prove it in 2025, which certainly isn’t a bad thing for the Jets.
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Andy Vasquez may be reached atavasquez@njadvancemedia.com.
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