Not so fast.
There were rumors on social media (more on that in a minute) that the New York Jets and running back Breece Hall were kicking around a four-year, $60 million potential contract.
However, NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY shut that down on social media:
“Looked into the report, the Jets offered Breece Hall a four-year, $60m extension. Sources on both ends of the negotiation insist that was never on the table. Hall & the Jets would like to get something done. I’d expect them to re-engage soon to try to find common ground. That specific deal, though, was not presented, they say,” Hughes posted.
Sources on both ends of the negotiation insist that was never on the table.
Hall & the Jets would like to get something done. I’d expect them to re-engage soon to try to find common ground. That
Where Those Rumors Came From
On “Boomer and Gio” on WFAN, former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason revealed that he heard the Jets “were offering four-years $60 million with $48 million guaranteed” to Hall.
For context, that $15 million annual salary would tie Hall with Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens as the third-highest-paid running back in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
That $48 million guaranteed would be the most ever given to a RB in NFL history (excluding rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, who uniquely qualifies because of the rookie wage scale giving him $50.5 million).
That $15M annual salary would tie Hall w/ Derrick Henry from the #Ravens as the third highest paid RB in the #NFL.
That would also smash
Hall, 24, will turn 25 before the start of the 2026 season.
Across his four years in the pros, Hall has toted the rock 755 times for 3,398 rushing yards and has scored 18 rushing touchdowns.
Through the air, Hall has been targeted 250 times and has caught 188 receptions for 1,642 receiving yards and has scored nine receiving touchdowns.
Consequences of the Jets Actions
The Jets initially planned on placing the transition tag on Hall this offseason. That would have been a one-year deal for $11.3 million, per Over The Cap.
That would have made him the No. 11 highest-paid running back in the NFL, per OTC. The danger with that maneuver is that other teams could have signed Hall to an offer sheet. If the Jets matched, they would have retained Hall. However, if they failed to match the deal, they would have lost him and received no compensation in return.
To avoid that potential scenario, the Jets placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Hall.
“The non-exclusive tag allows Hall to negotiate with other NFL teams, but the Green & White are ensured the right to match any offer he receives. If Hall agrees to an offer that the Jets don’t match, the team acquiring him will be required to send the Jets two first-round picks as compensation,” Jets senior reporter Eric Allen wrote in a press release.
That protected the Jets, albeit at a cost. Instead of paying him $11.3 million on the transition tag, they were forced to pay him $14.3 million on the franchise tag.
That new annual figure made Hall the fifth-highest-paid RB in the league, per Over The Cap.
That number is now coming back to haunt them.
Esiason explained on the radio that Hall’s negotiation for his new deal starts with that $14.3 million annual figure. If that holds, Hall will be no lower than the fifth-highest-paid running back but could have a path to the top three at his position.
Insider Shuts Down Breece Hall $60 Million Contract Report