The Jets are trying to make sure Breece Hall is not going anywhere.
The team placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on the running back Tuesday, preventing him from becoming a free agent next week. The Jets and Hall’s representatives have been trying to reach an agreement on a long-term contract but could not do so before Tuesday’s deadline to apply the tag.
Other teams can negotiate with Hall, but the franchise tag virtually assures he will be on the Jets in 2026. A team would have to surrender two first-round picks to the Jets to sign Hall, which is not happening. The Jets and Hall have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal. If one cannot be reached, Hall will be playing on a one-year deal that will pay him $14.3 million.
Hall could opt not to sign the franchise tag and skip the Jets offseason program without being fined. The Jets could rescind the tag at any point, but that is unlikely.
Jets general manager Darren Mougey said that Hall “is a good player and we want to find a way to keep him around” at last week’s NFL scouting combine.
Hall posted to X on Tuesday: “Always been the type to bet on myself. Been working … see you all soon, Love.”
The Jets drafted Hall in the second round in 2022 and he has been their lead running back since. He rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards last season and scored five touchdowns.
A long-term deal figures to have an annual average value right around the franchise tag number. Saquon Barkley is the top-paid running back at $20.6 million per year.
Hall, who turns 25 in May, could benefit from a spike in the running back market. Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are both eligible for extensions and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is scheduled to hit free agency next week.
The Jets opted to use the franchise tag over the transition tag, which would have been cheaper ($11.3 million) but riskier when it comes to losing Hall. The Jets would have the ability to match any offer Hall received but if they did not, they would not get compensation.
Hall’s production has not matched his potential, but it has not been all his fault. The Jets have cycled through offensive coordinators and quarterbacks during his four years with the team. The offensive line has also been a work in progress for much of Hall’s Jets career.
This is the first time the Jets have used the franchise tag since 2021, when they applied it to safety Marcus Maye, who left as a free agent in 2022.
