Jets Played Defense Against Broncos With Breece Hall Tag

The New York Jets made the right call with Breece Hall, it would seem.

Oct 26, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The New York Jets made a great decision on Tuesday as they opted to hand young running back Breece Hall the non-exlusive franchise tag, as opposed to the transition tag.

If the Jets had given Hall the transition tag, his salary cap hit would've been a bit lower. The franchise tag is $14.293 million, whereas the transition tag is $11.323 million for the running back position. With both the non-exclusive franchise tag and the transition tag, Hall is able to talk to other teams but the Jets have the chance to match any offer. The big difference is that with the franchise tag, the Jets would get two first-round picks if they didn't match an offer to Hall. With the transition tag, the Jets would've gotten anything if they didn't match an offer.

The move looked good on Tuesday simply because it pretty much guarantees that Hall is going to be playing for the Jets in 2026. Who would want to give up two first-round picks? On Wednesday, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports made the decision look even better while acknowledging that the reason why the Jets went with the franchise tag was that there was an expectation that the Denver Broncos would make a serious run at him.

The Jets RB would've had options

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

"Broncos eyeing running back splash," Jones wrote. "The Broncos are poised to make a splash at running back next week. Denver is the reason why the Jets used the franchise tag on Breece Hall rather than the transition tag, according to sources, making sure Denver wouldn't get the opportunity to put together an offer the Jets would refuse to match.

"A few connections there underline that tango: Jets GM Darren Mougey came from Denver, while Broncos running backs coach Louis Ayeni identified Hall as a high school prospect years ago and recruited him to Iowa State before Ayeni left Ames for Northwestern and eventually the NFL. The Broncos would be an obvious landing spot for Kenneth Walker III, but the team could opt for Travis Etienne as a more affordable running back."

The Jets clearly want to have Hall in town in 2026 and this decision proved that point even further.