Jets’ Breece Hall Franchise Tag Decision Just Tip of the Iceberg

After plenty of chatter, the New York Jets are expected to place the franchise tag on young running back Breece Hall.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news on Tuesday morning while also noting that the New York will continue to try to hammer out a multi-year deal with the 24-year-old.

"Tagged: As the Jets and RB Breece Hall continue to try to hammer out a lucrative long-term deal, New York is placing the $14.293 million franchise tag on its standout running back, per sources," Schefter wrote. "The tag is designed as a placeholder until the two sides can reach agreement. ... The two sides were unable to come to a long-term agreement at this time. Enter the franchise tag."

Hall is coming off a big year for New York. He racked up a career high of 1,065 rushing yards. He finished the season with 1,415 total yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns. In a season full of negatives, Hall was a positive.

So, with the franchise tag on Hall, what's next?

The Jets running back is getting paid

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) carries the ball as New England Patriots linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (44) pursues at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As Schefter pointed out, this is just the beginning, not the end. The Jets have until July 15 to come to terms on a multi-year deal. If that doesn't happen, then the two sides only will be able to come together on the one-year franchise tag.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted that the $14.293 will be viewed as a "basis" in discussions moving forward.

"The franchise tag set at $14.293M will be used as the basis for a long-term deal that the two sides will continue to work on," Rapoport wrote.

At the end of the day, this is the right call. In issuing the franchise tag, the Jets give themselves the best shot of retaining Hall. The price tag is a little higher than the transition tag, but it only cements the fact that Hall will be in town in 2026 even more so. There are two different types of franchise tag: the non-exclusive franchise tag and the exclusive franchise tag.

As of writing, it's unclear if the Jets gave the non-exclusive or the exclusive, but they both serve the same purpose. With the non-exclusive, a player can still talk to teams, but the team issuing the tag is allowed to match any offer. If they decided against that, they would receive two first-round picks. That's a massive price, so both franchise tags pretty much kill the market around a player.

Now, the Jets have a few much to negotiate with their star running back. This is the right move.