Will the Jets Re-Sign Breece Hall? Top Landing Spots for NFL Free-Agent RB

Breece Hall is one of the handful of gems set to hit the open market when the 2026 NFL offseason gets underway. He has the potential to carry an offense, potentially transforming any team that lands him into a top-tier unit.

There are concerns that the running back may have already peaked, though, given the regression he's displayed upon returning from the torn ACL that cut his breakout rookie campaign short.

Hall's failure to reach his vast potential may be due in no small part to the ineptitude of a hapless New York Jets program that has experienced significant turnover across the roster, coaching staff and front office during his four seasons.

Despite Hall's efficiency dip in recent years, the B/R Scouting Department still has the back ranked as the No. 21 overall player and top running back in the 2026 free-agent class. He's just 24 years old, has amassed over 1,200 yards from scrimmage in three consecutive seasons and appears to be barely scratching the surface of his potential—a ceiling he may finally reach if he leaves New York.

Although there's a chance Hall remains with Gang Green if the rebuilding franchise puts the best offer on the table, years of consistent losing are taking their toll on him. The Jets have gone a paltry 20-35 in games he has appeared in and haven't come close to snapping the league's longest active postseason drought during his NFL tenure.

After being officially eliminated from contention in Week 14, Hall spoke about how the constant losing is demoralizing. He also hinted that he could be an upgrade in the backfield for some playoff-bound teams:

The chance to participate in the postseason seems to be a key factor in Hall's impending free-agency decision, although money (which can be hard for running backs to find in the modern era) will still play a role for the 2022 second-rounder.

Per ESPN's Rich Cimini, Hall is seeking a deal that pays him in the neighborhood of $10 million to $12 million annually. Spotrac pegs his market value at $10.4 million per year, a number that would rate just inside the top 10 in terms of average annual value at the position.

Cimini noted New York's preference is to retain Hall, highlighting how the organization rebuffed "heavy interest" in him at the trade deadline. The team could ultimately opt to franchise-tag Hall—paying approximately $14 million for the 2026 campaign—although it remains to be seen if that path is palatable for either side.

If the Jets can't come to terms on a new deal with Hall and opt not to use the franchise tag (or assign it to another impending free agent, a list that includes key defenders such as Quincy Williams and Tony Adams), there should be no shortage of interest in his services.

With that in mind, here's a look at the five top free-agent landing destinations for Hall in 2026.

Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Bryan Woolston

The Chiefs are in a state of disarray, falling from a perennial Super Bowl favorite to out of the Lombardi Trophy running entirely in the span of just months. The team must make some sweeping changes in the offseason to get back on track.

With Kansas City officially eliminated from playoff contention before Christmas and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes facing a long recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 15, the Chiefs must prioritize the revival of a run game that has grown stagnant in recent years.

Kansas City's ground attack has basically been a non-factor this season. The team ranks a concerning No. 20 in rushing and would be far lower if Mahomes hadn't contributed a career-high 422 rushing yards in just 14 games.

Isiah Pacheco has been hindered by injuries for the second consecutive season and has trended in the wrong direction when he is on the field. After emerging as a key piece of the offense on back-to-back Super Bowl teams, the Rutgers product missed a majority of the 2024 campaign and averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in the seven games he suited up for. Although he's only missed three games in 2025, his efficiency remains a concern as he's still averaging fewer than four yards per carry.

Kareem Hunt has been the squad's most productive back, but his 557 yards on 148 carries aren't moving the needle. It's become obvious that the 30-year-old's best days are well behind him, with his 3.8 YPC average a far cry from the 4.9 YPC he posted during his Pro Bowl rookie campaign with the Chiefs in 2017.

It's arguable that Hunt wouldn't even crack the active roster for most squads at this point. He was notably out of the league for the first month of the 2024 campaign before the Chiefs brought him back due to attrition in their running back platoon. While the move worked out last year and helped Kansas City reach a third consecutive Super Bowl, he is clearly out of gas and a replacement must be found this offseason.

Signing Hall would add a new dynamic to Kansas City's ground game, providing an edge this squad has lacked since Hunt's early years with the organization. He could work as a focal point for the offense during Mahomes' absence in 2026 and profiles as an excellent playmaker for the signal-caller to work with when he eventually gets back on the field.

Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

The Cardinals had the potential to emerge as a top rushing attack this year, boasting an impressive-on-paper tandem of James Conner and Trey Benson at the core of their backfield. Injuries decimated this platoon, however, and the team hasn't been able to move the ball on the ground without its top options during this lost campaign.

Unfortunately for Arizona, Father Time seems to have caught up to Conner—who suffered a torn ACL early in his age-30 campaign after eight mostly healthy NFL seasons—and Benson has been a relative bust since the team selected him on Day 2 in the 2024 draft.

While there's still hope Benson might evolve into a quality contributor, he wasn't able to get on the field much as a rookie and his sophomore campaign was looking shaky even prior to a meniscus injury that has kept him sidelined for the past three months.

With Arizona heading into an uncertain future at the quarterback position after Jacoby Brissett took the reins from an injured and ineffective Kyler Murray, it would behoove the program to solidify the running backs room during the 2026 offseason.

Hall would bring some much-needed stability to a Cardinals backfield that has seen a revolving door of pedestrian contributors flow through in 2025. His presence would open things up for Brissett, Murray or whoever ultimately ends up starting for Arizona next season.

Houston Texans

AP Photo/John Munson

The Texans are on their way to making the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but counting on a league-leading defense to consistently grind out wins could be their eventual downfall.

The disappearance of Houston's rushing attack has been a concern. After being average in this area last year, the Texans' ground game has regressed to rank a paltry No. 23 this season.

Houston made the controversial decision to entrust its rushing success to a pair of aging running backs, but it hasn't paid off.

Joe Mixon may have made the Pro Bowl in 2024 but hasn't suited up yet this year due to injury. Nick Chubb had been averaging a career-worst 36.3 yards per game before a rib issue kept him out in Week 15.

This platoon does contain a promising young piece in Woody Marks, but the fourth-round rookie is only averaging 3.5 yards per rushing attempt and may not be cut out for lead back duties.

Sophomore Jawhar Jordan flashed in his first meaningful NFL action—racking up 101 yards on 15 totes after taking Chubb's spot in the lineup this past weekend—but it's far too early to call him a potential solution to Houston's rushing woes.

Rather than hope Marks improves his efficiency metrics or Jordan ends up being more than just a flash in the pan, the Texans would be wise to court a proven back like Hall in free agency.

The talented, experienced RB still has plenty of tread left on his tires and could be the missing piece in a system that hasn't shown much improvement since quarterback C.J. Stroud's Offensive Rookie of the Year-winning campaign in 2023.

New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

The Alvin Kamara era in New Orleans could be reaching its end. After nearly a decade in the Big Easy, he is finishing out the penultimate year of his contract mostly watching from the sidelines.

It wouldn't be a shock if the five-time Pro Bowler gets let go in a cost-saving maneuver this offseason. Releasing him would free up approximately $8.5 million next season—funds the cash-strapped Saints will sorely need.

A succession plan has started to materialize. With Kamara dealing with a knee injury that has kept him out the past three games—and potentially the rest of the year given the 4-10 Saints are out playoff contention—the team has turned to Devin Neal to head up its backfield.

Although he's gone on to rack up 185 yards and two touchdowns on his 45 touches—a respectable showing given the overall weakness of New Orleans' roster—Neal won't be able to shoulder the entire load. He profiled as a "backup three-down back" during the pre-draft process and exited Sunday's win over the rival Carolina Panthers with a hamstring issue.

With Neal displaying injury concerns and lacking the dynamic playmaking ability of someone like Kamara, New Orleans should prioritize finding a true lead back to build an offense around.

Head coach Kellen Moore showed he's capable of crafting a Super Bowl-winning offense around a top-end back when the then-Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator leveraged Saquon Barkley's immense talents to claim a Lombardi Trophy in 2024.

Hall could be the next back to thrive in Moore's scheme. He's been deployed a variety of ways under a series of different coaches and coordinators during his four seasons in the Big Apple, but none have unlocked the potential he displayed as a rookie.

If the Saints can land Hall in the offseason, he should return to that high level of play. He would excel in a scheme tailored around his skill set, allowing New Orleans to develop a franchise quarterback without having the pressure of completely carrying the offense.

Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Steve Luciano

The running back spot hasn't been a glaring issue for the 2025 version of the Vikings, but it hasn't exactly been a strength for the club, either.

With starting back Aaron Jones on the wrong side of 30 and having missed a third of the campaign after starting all 17 contests in 2024, there's a decent chance Minnesota moves on during the offseason. The team would save over $7 million with the cut and has Jordan Mason is waiting in the wings to help soften the blow.

Mason was a notable acquisition for the Vikings on the trade market this past offseason, and the team has received a decent return on its investment. With 659 yards and six scores on 143 carries through 14 games, he has proved himself to be one of the league's better depth backs.

Although Mason has fared well when called upon, he's logged just 10 starts across his first 59 professional games. He's also struggled with health when taking on heavier workloads. After a fast start to the 2024 season, he was limited by various injuries and ultimately wound up on the IR for the final five games.

That's not what a team wants to see in a potential lead back, a concern that could lead Minnesota to make a run at a surer option in Hall.

Despite a torn ACL that derailed the back half of an Offensive Rookie of the Year-worthy season, availability has been one of Hall's strong suits. He returned from that knee injury in rapid fashion and went on appear in all 17 games the following season. He only missed one contest last year and has remained healthy throughout the current  campaign.

That combination of skill and availability is rare in the modern NFL, making Hall a fantastic choice for the Vikings (or any other RB-needy squad) to target in free agency.