Breece Hall's injury may compel Jets to attack Titans' glaring weakness

The New York Jets have overhauled their roster and coaching staff ahead of Year 2 of the Aaron Glenn era. Despite the offseason turmoil, starting running back Breece Hall remains one of the club’s few constants, though he’s now dealing with a groin strain.

Hall will be out for two to three weeks, Glenn told reporters. The news comes less than a month before the Jets open 2026 on the road against the Tennessee Titans. It puts the standout tailback in jeopardy of being sidelined for a showdown with his ex-head coach, Robert Saleh.

For what it’s worth, Glenn expects Hall to be ready to go against the Titans. New York is likely just erring cautiously with the latter, whom they signed to a three-year, $43.5 million contract extension in March. However, the timeline at least opens the door for a potential Week 1 scratch. 

Even if Hall is available in Tennessee, he’ll probably have to ramp back up after extended time off. He will have missed a lot of incredibly important training camp reps. It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Jets ease their bell cow back into action.

Nevertheless, Hall’s injury could low-key prompt Gang Green to exploit arguably the Titans’ biggest weakness: the defensive backfield.

Breece Hall’s injury could cause New York Jets to lean into the pass in Week 1 vs. Titans

Tennessee was an above-average run-stopping unit in 2025, ranking 18th and 19th in rushing yards per game and attempts, respectively. Their efforts (or lack thereof) against the pass left much to be desired, to say the least.

Few teams were as susceptible to getting beaten through the air as the Titans were last season, and the numbers bear that out. No one allowed more per pass attempt (8.2), and only the Miami Dolphins had a higher opponent completion percentage (68.9). Tennessee was also one of only 10 squads to give up at least 30 passing touchdowns.

Yes, Tennessee has brought in reinforcements. A Saleh-led defense can have ground game vulnerabilities, too, as Jets fans have learned the hard way.

Yet, even with the regime and personnel changes, the Titans' secondary is still the Achilles’ heel of the stop unit. The starters got cooked by the San Francisco 49ers’ backups in their preseason meeting. Wide receivers got open early and often, and cornerbacks were losing jump-ball situations when they weren’t.

New-look Titans still have the same problem for New York Jets to take advantage of

Under normal circumstances, the Jets would lean on Hall, as they’ve typically done throughout his career. Excluding the playoffs, their 45.15 rush play percentage this past campaign was good for 13th in the NFL. He personally accounted for over half of their carries (243).

But with Hall hurt heading into a clash with the pass-funnel Titans, why not turn to throwing the ball? Jets star wideout Garrett Wilson and the improved group of pass-catchers around him are certainly talented enough to seize the opportunity.

Between Wilson, speedster Adonai Mitchell, first-round rookies Omar Cooper Jr. and (hopefully) Kenyon Sadiq give New York an assortment of viable weapons. The return of veteran quarterback Geno Smith also gives them someone who can distribute the ball. Put two and two together, plus Tennessee's flaws, and there's no need to put too much on Hall's plate too soon.

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