Entering the final year of his contract, New York Jets running back Breece Hall has been the subject of trade speculation.
But that speculation doesn’t only stem from his contract situation. There is also a belief that Hall isn’t too pleased with comments by head coach Aaron Glenn that hinted the team will use a three-man committee in the backfield.
“I think, mentally, [Hall] is in a good place, but I would say that we have three running backs on this team that we’re going to utilize as much as possible,” Glenn said during the owners meetings in March, according to ESPN. “They’re all big men, they can run, they’re violent, they’re physical.
“So I think once we get a chance to get the players in and see exactly how they operate, I think every player is going to be happy with the way that we go about this offense, and I think he’s going to be one of them,” Glenn added.
Hall needs to have a big season in his contract year, but that’s going to be difficult to do if he has to share the backfield with two other players. As a result, he may request a trade.
In what is an unlikely scenario, Last Word on Sports’ David Latham envisions a world in which Hall lands with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Chase Brown survived the NFL Draft, as the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t select a running back until they took Tahj Brooks in the sixth round,” Latham explained. “While the third-year pro should start, he’s not exactly built for a full-time role. Even going back to his days in college, Brown only has one season with over 230 rushing attempts and two seasons with 200 or more carries. The Bengals could use a player to ease his burden, and a Breece Hall trade could give this team a near-unstoppable running back duo.”
Hall didn’t have the year many envisioned him having in 2024, but the Jets were also a dysfunctional mess on offense and had a poor offensive line.
When at his best, Hall is an dynamic playmaker who can score from anywhere on the field, both as a runner and pass-catcher. A duo of Hall and Chase Brown would be electric, as Brown has also proven to be a big play waiting to happen.
Not to mention, all the attention the Bengals’ elite passing attack draws thanks to Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins would guarantee Hall has plenty of space to operate, which could lead to an explosion in production.
The problem is that the Bengals are unlikely to make this kind of trade.
After all, their running backs room is always crowded with Brown, Zack Moss, Samaje Perine and 2025 fifth-round pick Tahj Brooks, and Cincinnati isn’t likely to be keen on giving up draft capital for someone who could be gone after one year.
As much as we’d love to see Hall playing in Cincinnati on that offense, chances are we won’t have the privilege of watching him play there.
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