Breece Hall, Haason Reddick and NFL Players Looking to Earn a Payday This Season

With training camps underway and the preseason set to begin with Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, time is running out for NFL players who hope to land an extension before Week 1.

New York Jets running back Breece Hall doesn't believe he'll get an extension this offseason, as teammates Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner did.

"I'm not really expecting it before the season," Hall told reporters on Saturday. "We got a new head coach, new GM. Obviously, I wasn't drafted by them, I'm not their guy."

Wilson and Gardner weren't drafted by the current Jets regime, either, but they're both high-end contributors at more premium positions. If Hall is going to get his own lucrative second contract, he may have to wait until 2026 free agency, and he's certainly going to need to perform this season.

Hall isn't the only impending 2026 free agent who has a lot riding, financially, on the upcoming campaign. Here, we'll examine six players whose 2025 seasons will make or break their value next offseason.

Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Wilson has given the Jets three 1,000-yard receiving campaigns, while Gardner is a two-time first-team All-Pro. They had little to prove to head coach Aaron Glenn or general manager Darren Mougey when they arrived.

Things were a little different for Hall. Despite topping 1,300 scrimmage yards in each of the past two seasons, he has been more good than great and plays a position that rarely commands big free-agent dollars. The 24-year-old believes he is running out of time to show he can be a top-tier back.

"I've got a chip on my shoulder," Hall told reporters. "I feel like right now, OK, it's my last chance. For me, it's always been, 'he's got potential, he's got potential,' but now I want to be the product."

Hall needs to display more explosiveness and better consistency as a ball-carrier than he's shown since his 2022 ACL tear. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie but averaged just 4.5 and 4.2 yards per carry in 2023 and 2024, respectively. If he can do that while handling a high-volume workload, he'll have a chance to establish himself as one of the league's best young running backs.

That could mean a significant free-agent contract like the four-year, $48 million deal Josh Jacobs got last offseason. If, however, Hall doesn't show positive growth this season, he could be looking at a short-term "prove-it" deal like the $5.3 million contract signed by Najee Harris or the $3 million deal signed by Javonte Williams this offseason.

Christian Kirk, WR, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Maria Lysaker

Next year's edition of free agency is scheduled to feature a slew of talented wide receivers. Among the list are standouts like Mike Evans, Courtland Sutton, Jauan Jennings and Jakobi Meyers. A deep player pool could make it tough for players such as Houston Texans receiver Christian Kirk to cash in.

Kirk got his big second payday back in 2022, when he signed a four-year, $72 million free-agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He responded with a career-best 1,108-yard season that same year. Unfortunately, his stock has taken a hit over the past two seasons.

Now, injuries have played a role in Kirk's decline. He missed five games in 2023 with a core muscle injury and played just eight games last season before suffering a broken collarbone. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence also battled injuries over the past two seasons, which impacted offensive numbers across the board.

This offseason, the Jaguars offloaded Kirk to the rival Houston Texans in a trade that only netted Jacksonville a 2026 seventh-round pick.

In Houston, Kirk will have an opportunity to reestablish himself as a premier slot receiver, though doing so won't be easy. The Texans are dealing with a retooled offensive line and have enough young competition at receiver that Kirk will have to earn his role in training camp.

If Kirk can manage to lock down the slot role, stay healthy and become a go-to target for quarterback C.J. Stroud, he could enter free agency at 29 as one of the top pass-catchers available.

Great slot receivers tend to have a strong free-agent market—the oft-injured Cooper Kupp landed a three-year, $45 million deal this offseason. A down season, though, could leave Kirk looking at a one-year deal in the $1.5-2 million range, the sort of deals guys like Braxton Berrios, Sterling Shepard, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson got this offseason.

Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

There might not be a player with a bigger boom-or-bust free-agency outlook than Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.

The 2019 first-round pick had exactly one good season with the New York Giants, parlayed it into a four-year, $160 million extension and then was released less than two years after signing that second deal.

After a brief 2024 stint with the Minnesota Vikings, Jones landed in Indianapolis this offseason with a chance to compete for the starting job. If he wins it and plays reasonably well, he could earn quality starter money in 2026.

"I think there's a real shot Jones could be angling for $40 million annually at this time next year," Fox Sports' Henry McKenna wrote.

For Jones to reach next offseason as one of the top QBs on the market, he'll first have to beat out 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson for the starting job—or replace him early enough in the season to forge a strong resume.

While Richardson has dealt with a shoulder injury this offseason, keeping the door open for Jones, the Colts are likely to go with the younger QB if the camp competition is close. Richardson was drafted fourth overall, possesses tremendous upside and can be on a rookie contract for three more seasons.

According to Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post, both quarterbacks have had their share of struggles this offseason.

Jones could become another redemption story in the mold of Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold and reap the ensuing financial windfall. If he plays poorly or spends most of the season holding a clipboard, he'll do well to land a backup deal like the two-year, $8 million contract Jameis Winston signed this March.

Kolton Miller, OT, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

A few starting-caliber left tackles are scheduled to hit the market in 2026, though it would be a shock to see Los Angeles Chargers standout Rashawn Slater reach free agency. The two-time Pro Bowler and the Chargers have been discussing an extension since the start of the offseason.

Assuming Slater does get a new deal before the spring, Kolton Miller will have a chance to be the most coveted left tackle in free agency. While non-Raiders fans may not be familiar with the 29-year-old, he's a very reliable starter.

Pro Football Focus graded Miller 14th overall among 140 offensive tackles for the 2024 season.

Considering how expensive even average tackles are becoming—Dan Moore Jr. landed a four-year, $82 million deal this offseason—Miller could earn a significant raise over his current $18 million-per-year deal. To do it, though, he'll need to keep playing at a high level, stay healthy and hope Las Vegas' new additions give him some time in the spotlight.

With a new head coach in Pete Carroll and a new quarterback in Geno Smith, the Raiders should be more relevant than they've been in recent seasons. That could give Miller a market that extends far outside of Las Vegas.

If the Raiders underperform again, though, and/or Miller sees a decline in play, he could get far more modest earnings. Cam Robinson, 29, has 101 starts on his NFL resume and received a one-year, $12 million deal this offseason.

*Update: Slater and the Chargers agreed to a four-year, $114 million extension on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Jessica Tobias

The talent of wide receiver George Pickens has never really been questioned. The 24-year-old has, at times, looked like he could become an elite NFL pass-catcher. In 2023, for example, he topped 1,100 yards while leading the NFL with an 18.1 yards-per-catch average.

However, his lack of consistency and maturity issues regularly caused headaches for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After failing to see any growth from the young pass-catcher, they decided to trade him to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.

"They have learned the hard way with receivers like Antonio Brown that money doesn’t fix these problems—it only makes them worse," The Athletic's Mike DeFabo wrote in May.

Now in Dallas, Pickens has a chance to change the narrative, and he can do it while thriving as Dallas' No. 2 receiver opposite CeeDee Lamb. Pickens and quarterback Dak Prescott already appear to have a fair bit of chemistry.

"Pickens' connection with Dak Prescott is already impressive," Patrik Walker of the team's official website posted on X last week.

Of course, Pickens will need to do more than just produce impressive statistics. He'll need to perform consistently, not get frustrated when the ball doesn't come his way and stop doing dumb things—like fighting the opposition instead of trying to catch a game-winning pass.

If Pickens can establish himself as a great player and even better teammate with the Cowboys, he could earn high-end No. 2 receiver money next offseason—possibly something in the vicinity of Tee Higgins' $28.8 million-per-yer deal. If he can't, he could instead expect to get a low-level "prove-it" deal like the $1.2 million contract Diontae Johnson signed this offseason.

Haason Reddick, Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Few players hurt their free-agent markets last season as much as pass-rusher Haason Reddick.

The two-time Pro Bowler was traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Jets last offseason. However, New York acquired him without agreeing to give him a new contract, which led to a holdout that carried into the season. He suited up for just 10 games and finished the year with only one sack.

Prior to last season, the 30-year-old had logged four straight campaigns with double-digit sacks.

Now, Reddick did get a respectable one-year, $14 million contract from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. However, he didn't get the substantial multi-year deal he likely would have commanded coming off of a more successful season. Chase Young, for example, inked a three-year, $51 million contract this offseason.

Reddick is eager to put the mess that was his 2024 season in New York behind him.

"It's a fresh start," Reddick told reporters back in March. "I know everybody's worried about last year, but last year was last year. I'm here now, different mindset, different space."

Though Reddick will turn 31 in September, he could still command a sizeable long-term deal next offseason if he can reestablish himself as a premier pass-rusher. He's less than a month older than T.J. Watt, who just signed a three-year, $123 million deal. Reddick won't command Watt's salary, of course, but teams are willing to pay older sack artists who are still productive.

However, Reddick will have to show that he can still be a 10-sack defender by playing a full season and playing well. If he can't, he can probably expect a one-year deal in the $5-6 million range—the sort of deal players like Calais Campbell, Dante Fowler Jr. and Von Miller signed this offseason.

*Contract information via Spotrac.