Jets latest Breece Hall dilemma could force unorthodox strategy

The New York Jets are set to enter an offseason that promises to bring sweeping changes to their roster, but one player the team is evidently interested in keeping around is running back Breece Hall.

Hall is expected to be the Jets' most high-profile free agent this March, and he also represents arguably the most interesting offseason dilemma for the organization.

Many have operated under the belief that the Jets might simply place the franchise tag on their standout running back if the two sides are unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, especially after the team opted against trading him at the deadline last year.

But that might not be the case. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported on Wednesday that the Jets are "extremely unlikely" to use the franchise tag on Hall this offseason. However, there might be a different, more obscure route the team could explore.

The Jets could use the transition tag on Breece Hall this offseason

Jones floated the idea that the Jets could utilize the seldom-used transition tag to keep Hall on their roster for at least another year. While Over The Cap projects the running back franchise tag to be worth $14.54 million, the transition tag is only projected to be valued at around $11.73 million.

That nearly $3 million in savings is not an insignificant sum of money, especially for a Jets team that is expected to be very active in free agency. The idea does carry some risk, however, which is why teams don't often opt for this approach.

The franchise tag permits a player to negotiate with other teams, though any signing club would have to surrender two first-round picks in compensation. The transition tag works differently, granting the team that applies it the right of first refusal without any draft-pick compensation attached.

In theory, another team could sign Hall to an offer sheet, and if the Jets are unwilling to match it, he would walk for nothing in free agency. That's why teams tend to opt for the increased security of the franchise tag.

But this is a unique situation for both the Jets and Hall. The projected transition tag value of $11.73 million is right around what most believe Hall could fetch on the open market, if not even a tad higher than expected.

Is there a team willing to offer Hall a Kyren Williams– or James Cook–level contract, somewhere in the range of three years, $33 million to four years, $48 million? That's the question the Jets have to be asking themselves.

Regardless, it's probably fair to say that the $14.54 million franchise tag is likely a little rich for Hall at this stage. That contract would make him the third-highest-paid running back in the NFL by average annual value, behind only Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry.

It seems unlikely that any of the top free-agent running backs this offseason — Hall, Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne — receive a contract in that range. Walker probably has the best chance of the three.

The Jets will exhaust various options to keep Breece Hall on their roster going into 2026, and while the franchise tag remains unlikely, don't be surprised if the Jets turn to the little-known transition tag instead.