Jets' Breece Hall 'not really expecting' new contract before season starts: 'I got to prove it'
The Jets have been busy this offseason, already signing two of their young stars in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner to lucrative contract extensions.
Notably missing from that group is another young stud: running back Breece Hall.
Hall, a second-round draft pick that was part of the same draft class as Wilson and Gardner (first-round picks), has just as much talent as his newly signed teammates and is entering the final year of his rookie deal, too. So what gives?
"We got a new head coach, new GM and obviously I wasn't drafted by them, I'm not their guy. So for me, I got to prove it every day," Hall said. "I think, for me, I got a chip on my shoulder. I feel like right now, this is my last chance."
Adding that he's "not really expecting" a new contract before the season, Hall was candid about how his career has panned out up until this point.
After bursting onto the scene his first season in 2022 (and looking like an absolute steal and perhaps the best of the rookie bunch for the Jets), Hall suffered a season-ending ACL tear after just seven games.
He returned in time for Week 1 in 2023, but a cautious workload in the beginning coupled with another disastrous season offensively hurt the running back's overall numbers before taking a bit of a step back last season.
In 40 games (34 starts), Hall was ran for 2,333 yards on 512 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and has 14 rushing touchdowns to go along with eight touchdown receptions.
Still, he's never broken 1,000 yards on the ground in a season and his touchdown numbers have taken a dive over the last two seasons after looking like a potential touchdown machine his rookie year. And now with the (well-deserved) ascension of Braelon Allen, Hall's playing time will likely be cut into.
"For me it's always been he's got potential, he's got potential,' but I want to be the product so now it's all just about putting my head down and working," Hall said. "I don't really want to discuss all the other stuff, for me I just try to worry about ball right now."
Not to discredit Hall's impact and importance to the team, but it's understandable that the Jets did not prioritize extending him this offseason given the position he plays. Recent history says running backs tend to not get paid lucrative, long-term deals whether that's warranted or not.
As Hall said, with a new regime running things in New York, he has to prove his worth to them. And not only is that a challenge that Hall is looking forward to, the new faces that the Jets brought in is making it easier.
"In the past there's been a lot of instability around the whole operation and I feel like this year, like I said, everybody's bought into this coaching staff," Hall said. "Everybody's bought into our GM, everybody's bought into our owner still, so it feels a lot better around here coming in every day."