Jets ‘Unlikely’ to Franchise Tag Breece Hall, But There's Hope

One of the biggest bright spots from the 2025 New York Jets is a pending free agent right now.

That is, of course, running back Breece Hall. His future with the franchise has been under a microscope since last offseason. Trade rumors circled around him all throughout the offseason leading into the 2025 season, but the Jets kept him. The noise picked up again ahead of the trade deadline and while there were offers, the Jets kept him again.

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New York has proven over and over that it likes Hall and wants him to be a part of the franchise. General manager Darren Mougey said as much after the season came to a close for New York.

"Breece is a good player," Mougey said after the regular season ended for New York. "I want as many good players back as we can. Like I mentioned, I probably met with 50 players yesterday. Met with Breece yesterday. Had a lot of good conversations."

The Jets have a Breece Hall decision to make

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

For the Jets, they'll have options if they want to keep their star running back. First and foremost, they could hand him a new deal. That would obviously take negotiations and interest from both sides in continuing the partnership, but New York has enough cap space to make a competitive offer. If things don't work out on that front, the Jets could offer either the franchise tag or the transition tag to secure his place with the Jets.

The idea of using the franchise tag has been a hot topic already. While this is the case, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones said it seems "extremely unlikely" that the Jets will use the franchise tag on Hall, but did mention the transition tag as more of an option.

"[Kenneth Walker III] is the most likely tag candidate, and we've already addressed [Travis Etienne Jr.]," Jones wrote. "The only other remotely plausible option is Breece Hall, but that seems extremely unlikely as well. Sources expect a buyer's market at the position, with players like Rachaad White, Javonte Williams and Rico Dowdle also set to hit free agency. But that doesn't mean running backs won't be tagged. ... The seldom-used transition tag is worth keeping in mind across several positions, but especially at running back. Teams have used it a half-dozen times over the past 15 or so years, most recently when the Patriots applied it to safety Kyle Dugger.

"The franchise tag allows a player to sign with another team if that club is willing to surrender two first-round picks. That is not the case with the transition tag, which simply gives the issuing team right of first refusal. Would a team actually trade two first-round picks to Seattle for Walker? Of course not, which means the Seahawks could opt for the transition tag instead. Again, there is likely no tag coming for Etienne, but the Jets have enough cap space to use it on Hall and save roughly $2 million if they choose."

Both the franchise tag and transition tags are one-year deals. The transition tag is a bit cheaper. In 2026, the franchise tag number for the running back position is just over $14.5 million. In comparison, the transition tag number is projected to be just over $11.7 million, per Over The Cap. The main difference between the two — outside of the salary — is compensation if a player leaves. If a player leaves after landing a non-exclusive franchise tag, the team receives draft compensation in return. With the transition tag, the team has the chance to match another team's offer. If they decide against, they don't get draft compensation.

No matter what, the Jets have options at their disposal if they want to keep Hall.

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