Heading into the 2026 offseason, the New York Jets face several difficult roster decisions. Among their upcoming free agents, soon-to-be fifth-year running back Breece Hall remains their top priority. With this in mind, the Jets’ front office will have to decide whether to franchise-tag the 24-year-old back, extend him long-term, or allow him to test free agency.
Amid the discussion, one NFL analyst offered insight into the significance of the decision.
NFL Analyst Urges New York Jets To Extend Star RB Breece Hall Long-Term
On Thursday, Feb. 12, during the NFL podcast Move The Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, the hosts covered potential offseason moves for top-picking teams. Notably, they discussed the Jets, citing potential plans for their lead back, Hall.
During the conversation, Jeremiah was blunt, stating if he were the Jets, “I’m not letting him walk out of the building … You are not finding anyone better than Breece Hall in this draft, I can tell you that right now … That is one hole that we’ve plugged in the boat.”
Shortly after, Brooks responded, “If I’m Breece Hall, I don’t know how excited I am about doing that… having to play on the tag.”
Jeremiah immediately agreed, noting, “I wouldn’t think he’d be excited at all, but I don’t know if he is going to have a choice.”
DRAFT SEASON: PFSN’s FREE Mock Draft Simulator
As Jeremiah previously mentioned, the Jets have a number of holes to plug in the boat; however, franchise tagging Hall would allow them to patch one up temporarily. In 2025, Hall recorded 1,415 scrimmage yards and 5 total touchdowns. Additionally, he posted a 69.2 RB Impact Score, placing him 14th among all runners in PFSN’s NFL RB Impact Metric.
Comparatively, the Jets’ offense ranked 29th, while the defense ranked as low as 31st, per PFSN’s NFL Impact Metrics. With the Jets clearly hurting in more areas than one, Jeremiah proposed the Jets should, “take a good bit of this early capital… these first four picks… fix this defense.”
For reference, the Jets control picks number 2, 16, 33, and 44 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
While Hall may oppose the franchise tag, the move could allow the Jets to spend heavily on defense and potentially sign or trade for a big-name quarterback. A defense full of hungry, star-studded rookies, along with an offense featuring Hall, Garrett Wilson, promising young tackles Olu Fashanu and Arman Membou, and a serviceable QB, could give New York a chance to make some noise for the first time in years.
