Insider reveals if Jets came close to trading RB Breece Hall this offseason

Numerous rumors surfaced this past winter claiming that the New York Jets could trade running back Breece Hall either before the 2025 NFL Draft or before the upcoming regular season gets underway. 

There's now no sign the Jets will move on from Hall this summer. For a mailbag published on Thursday, NFL/Jets insider Connor Hughes of SNY touched upon whether the club came close to parting ways with Hall following the 2024 season. 

"The rumors of Hall’s availability were a bit blown out of proportion," Hughes wrote. "I checked in on that during the draft. One team heard he could be had for the right price, but it was a blow-the-Jets-away situation. They were not shopping him."

A different Jets regime made Hall a second-round draft pick in the spring of 2022, and some may feel that the 24-year-old who is in the final year of his contract hasn't been the same dynamic playmaker he was before he went down with a torn ACL during his rookie season.

That said, ESPN stats show that Hall led the 2024 Jets with 876 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Braelon Allen was second with 334 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, followed by Isaiah Davis (174 yards, one TD). 

For a piece published on June 15, ESPN's Rich Cimini mentioned that "Hall will be a prime candidate to be dealt" ahead of this fall's trade deadline if the Jets are more pretenders than contenders by the end of October. 

"The Jets falling out of contention early is a fascinating situation," Hughes added. "For them to move Hall, two things need to happen: Hall needs to perform to the point he’ll net a legitimate return, while Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis show they can be the one-two punch in the backfield."

Hughes also pointed out that the Jets will likely soon sign cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson to lucrative extensions. Unless quarterback Justin Fields becomes a revelation to the point that the Jets enter their Week 9 bye at 6-2 or 5-3, Hall could be worth more to the franchise as a tradable asset than as an on-the-field contributor after Oct. 26.