Jets insider’s explanation for Breece Hall’s team MVP snub raises questions

When the New York Jets announced their team MVP earlier this month, many were surprised not to hear Breece Hall's name called. After all, Hall had been one of the rare bright spots in an otherwise dismal Jets season and, in many ways, was one of the team's only core players left standing at the season's end.

Hall topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career, finishing with 1,065 yards and four touchdowns on a healthy 4.4 yards per carry, bouncing back from a troubling 2024 season. Still, it wasn't enough to earn him the Curtis Martin Team MVP award, voted on by players.

That honor went to return specialist and backup wide receiver Isaiah Williams, who cemented his status as one of the NFL's best redemption stories of 2025 with his victory. So, why not Hall?

Speaking on the Flight Deck podcast last week, ESPN's Rich Cimini suggested that factors beyond on-field production may have influenced the player-voted award, hinting at possible locker room dynamics that could have played a role.

While nothing has been definitively confirmed, Cimini's theory adds a new layer of intrigue to the situation and potentially even raises questions about Hall’s future in Florham Park.

Why did Breece Hall not win Jets team MVP?

"I think [Breece] Hall may have upset some teammates toward the end of the year in the next-to-last game. He checked out of the game with a knee injury. I think that might have upset some teammates that he tapped out of that game."

Rich Cimini

Cimini speculated that Hall may have "upset" some of his teammates after checking out of the team's Week 17 loss to the New England Patriots early with a knee injury shortly after officially surpassing 1,000 rushing yards.

Hall would practice the following week, "enough to be able to play in the game," per Cimini, but he'd ultimately be held out of the Jets' season finale against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18. Cimini believes Hall's hesitancy may have cost him votes with his teammates.

Of course, this remains just a theory, and even Cimini acknowledged he was simply “connecting the dots,” so it should not be taken as gospel. That said, when a Jets insider as well-connected as Cimini floats an idea like this, it is worth paying attention to. Those kinds of observations are rarely made without some basis.

Hall’s future with the Jets has been uncertain for some time, and the former second-round pick is set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this offseason.

Reports have suggested that the Jets are interested in retaining Hall, but it remains to be seen if that feeling is mutual. The Jets could always opt to use either the transition tag or franchise tag on him, valued at $11.418 million and $14.153 million, respectively.

Whether Cimini’s theory proves meaningful or not remains to be seen, but it does little to quiet the questions surrounding Hall’s standing within the organization. As the Jets weigh their options this offseason, perception may matter just as much as production.