Aug 16, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; General view of a New York Jets helmet prior to the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Jets Predicted to Retain $9 Million Star After Career Year

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The New York Jets are heading into a crucial offseason that will be headlined by the 2026 NFL Draft as they look to rebuild their roster and get back to the playoffs.

After committing to a rebuild at the trade deadline, the Jets have five first round picks over the next two seasons, including two selections in the first round this offseason.

While the NFL draft will be the most important event of their offseason, the free agency period could make or break the Jets, too, especially considering they have a few valuable players hitting the market. Breece Hall, Quincy Williams, and Alijah Vera-Tucker are all free agents for the Jets. New York should be looking to bring each back to town this offseason.

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ESPN's Matt Bowen recently put together a list of the top 50 free agents of the offseason and listed Hall as one of the top players of the class. Fortunately for the Jets, Bowen also listed the Jets as the top landing spot for the young running back.

Jets should aggressively pursue Breece Hall in free agency

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"The Jets are rebuilding again, and with ample cap room, bringing Hall back makes sense," Bowen wrote. "With his dual-threat traits and home run ability, he can be the centerpiece of the offense under new coordinator Frank Reich. That system will lean on zone runs and using the backs in the pass game. Hall has 87 rushes of 10 or more yards over four seasons."

Hall feels like a veteran in the league at this point, but he's still only 24 years old. The Jets could comfortably sign him to a four year deal and keep him on the roster through the rest of his peak years. After eight years in the league, he'd likely begin to fall off a bit.

But he's not falling off yet. The young star put together a career year last season, as he eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He also added four touchdowns on the ground, 350 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown.

Having a solid running back is crucial for the team's next quarterback. The Jets are still searching for the next signal caller, but locking down a star running back for him would be a big move in the right direction.

This article first appeared on New York Jets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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