Stay or Go: Should Jets bring Breece Hall back for 2026 season?

Breece Hall wasa rare bright spot for the Jetsin 2025. He rushed for over 100 yards four times and surpassedthe1,000-yard rushingmarkfor the first time in his career in the penultimate game of the season.

Heading into the offseason, though, his status with the team is uncertain.Hall'srookie deal, signed back in 2022 after he had been selected in the second round of the NFL Draft,has now run out and he will be a free agent for the first time in his career.

So, should theJetsbringHallback?

WHY HALL SHOULD BE BACK

Although Hall is about to embark upon his fifth NFL season,he'sstill only 24 years old, so the best may be yet to come. His next contract could lock him up for his prime years and give the team that signs him stability at the running back position.

For the Jets in 2025, Hall was easily their most reliable offensive weaponand the obvious focal point of thedefense'sattention. However, he was still productive, going on to lead the Jets in touchdowns scored for the fourth straight season.

Despite his rushing success, Hall's production as a pass catcher was down, which suggestshealsohas untappedpassing gamepotentialthat is yet to be unlocked in Tanner Engstrand's system. Hall led all NFL running backs with 76 catches in 2024 but only surpassed 50 receiving yards once all year in 2025.

Head coach Aaron Glenn comes from a team who developed one of the league's best offensescenteredaround the running back position. Back in 2023, the DetroitLionsalready had David Montgomery but still spent further resources on the position by drafting JahmyrGibbs in the first round.

Itstands to reasontherefore that Glenn and his staff understand the importance of investing in the running back position and they have plenty of cap space to come with a high offer toretainHall.

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs the ball against New England Patriots linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (44) during the second quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

WHY HALL SHOULDN'T BE BACK

While the Jets can afford Hall and figure to be motivated to bring him back whatever the cost,there'sa school of thought that suggests you can get equivalent production from acheaper player or a collection of players rather than paying an elite salary to one player.

Javonte Williams is a good example of this. He signed a $3 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason but ended up with over 1,200 rushing yards; more than Hall, who could now command upwards of $15 million per season.

Perhaps abigger obstacle to Hall's potential return is the player's own desire todepart. Hall said all the right things during the year, and - to his credit - played hard to the end of the season. However, it has been hard for him to hide his frustration at his role and all the losinghe'sbeen forced to endure over the past few years.

There are few on-field reasons not to want Hall back, but one concern could be the heavy workloadhe'sundertaken since his return from a 2022 ACL tear. Hall has had some knee issues in the past few seasons so there could be some concern thathe'sa candidate to break down as he approaches his mid-twenties.

Even ifthey'dideally prefer to have Hall return, the Jets have other alternatives, so theydon'tneed to beleveragedinto a position where they end up overpaying for him to stick around. With fourtop-50picks in the upcoming draft, the Jets could add a long-term solution whose salary will remain low for the next few seasons. They can also explore the free agent market for better value using some of the money they currently have ear-marked for Hall's extension.

VERDICT

It seems likely thatthe Jets would love to have Hall back and they have the resources to offer him a lot of money to return. However,there'ssure to be a market for Hall, who mayfavora change of scenery and a chance to play for a current contender rather than a rebuilding team.

In theory, the Jets could apply the franchise tag and either compel Hall to play under that for 2026 or use that to receive some compensation for losing him via trade. However, that could get messy which might be something that theJetswould prefer to avoid, given their ongoing attempts to turn around theperceptionof theorganization.

In the end, themost likely outcomeis that Hall will sign for another team, so the Jets will have one more position to fill during the offseason.