Jets star faces make-or-break year with payday on the line

In 2023, Breece Hall looked every bit the rising star people expected. Coming off a torn ACL, the New York Jets running back amassed over 1,500 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns in a performance that cemented his status as one of the NFL’s most promising young running backs. 

Then hit the regression. 

The Iowa State product’s third season saw a noticeable dip in production: fewer explosive runs and six fumbles in a Jets offense that stalled more often than it soared.

Despite recording 876 rushing yards, the 24-year-old’s 4.2 yards per carry marked a career low. But he later revealed part of it was because he was playing through a serious knee issue. This led to Hall's name being dangled in trade rumors, making his future in green and white look murky.

What made the Omaha native such an electric playmaker in 2023 was the way he was used. Nathaniel Hackett and Todd Downing moved Hall around the formation to make the most out of his 4.39 speed. In 2024, this was not the case, as Gang Green aimed to shift Hall into a between-the-tackles runner.

Breece Hall has a lot on the line entering 2025

Under the new regime of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey, the Jets are expected to transition to a more rotational backfield. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand saw Jahmyr Gibbs develop into a top-tier dual-threat running back, and now has the opportunity to utilize the 5-foot-11, 217-pound Hall in a similar fashion. 

Modern front offices expect efficiency and explosion, not just workload. Hall’s 2023 season offered both, 2024 did not. This is why so many teams employ the running back by committee strategy, so they aren’t investing as much in a luxury position.

The days of Hall being a one-man show may be over, and aside from financially, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis are solid options to spell the former two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, but what’s going on up front is most encouraging about a potential bounce-back campaign for Hall. 

The Jets' offensive line has long been an area in dire need of improvement, but not anymore. After drafting Armand Membou in the first round, the Jets' unit up front of Olu Fashanu, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Membou is one of the league’s most athletic and promising units. 

It’s a line tailored for a versatile back like Hall, especially one looking to bounce back and re-establish himself as a franchise cornerstone in a contract year.

In addition to Hall, New York still has to pay its trio of first-round picks from the 2022 NFL Draft. Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson are both due for huge paydays on their second contracts — Garrett Wilson just received his new extension this week.

The scheme fits. The line is significantly improved. The help is there. Now it’s on Hall to prove he’s still that guy in New York, and one worth a second contract.

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