NFL Insider Wonders If Jets Put Breece Hall on Trade Block If Ashton Jeanty Falls to 7

Breece Hall is one of the top playmakers on the New York Jets, but his future with the team is under the spotlight entering the final year of his current contract.

And ESPN's Rich Cimini speculated Sunday that New York could look to put the running back on the trade block.

"Hall is among a handful of players up for a contract extension, most notably cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson—both drafted the same year as Hall," Cimini wrote. "It will be difficult to keep them all long term.

"Hall is a gifted player who would attract interest if dangled in trade talks. Perhaps the Jets would consider moving him if Boise State star Ashton Jeanty is available with the seventh pick in the April 24 draft."

Hall seemed to react to such speculation:

Wilson (wide receiver) and Gardner (cornerback) both play positions that are largely more valued at the NFL level than running back. That could make them priorities if the Jets end up keeping only two of the three.

Cimini also highlighted comments from new head coach Aaron Glenn suggesting there will be a backfield-by-committee approach with Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis as something that will "fuel" trade discussions.

"I think, mentally, [Hall] is in a good place, but I would say that we have three running backs on this team that we're going to utilize as much as possible," Glenn said.

There is no doubting Hall's ability to impact the offense after he posted 1,585 yards from scrimmage in 2023 and 1,359 yards from scrimmage in 2024. However, efficiency has been something of a question mark.

The Iowa State product averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie in 2022 but just 4.5 yards per carry in his second season and 4.2 yards per carry in his third. That coincided with him having 80 carries in his first year compared to a combined 432 in his second and third seasons.

Resetting the running back position by trading Hall and drafting a dynamic playmaker like Jeanty would help the Jets address any of those efficiency concerns. 

Yet working Hall into a backfield-by-committee approach may also help the AFC East team do just that while maintaining one of the most important players on the offense and avoiding putting too much on the plate of a rookie running back.