Getty New York Jets cornerback Bryce Hall celebrating after making a big play during an NFL game.
Bryce Hall wanted to remain a member of the New York Jets and he put his money where his mouth was to prove it.
Field Yates of ESPN revealed on Thursday, August 31 that Hall “restructured” his contract “in recent days.” He was originally set to count over $2.82 against the cap and now that number shrunk to $1.097 million.
Players with restructured deals in recent days with their updated cap charges for 2023:
Jets CB Bryce Hall: $1.097M (down from $2.82M)
Giants CB Darnay Holmes: $1.216M (down from $2.94M)
Steelers WR Gunner Olszewski: $2.026M (down from $2.618M)
Rams OL Kevin Dotson: $2.25M…
On the surface $1.773 million may not sound like a lot, but that was 63% of the paycheck he was set to make.
Contract Restructure Likely Saved His Jets Career
Hall wasn’t originally scheduled to make that much money when he joined the Jets back in 2020 as the No. 158 overall pick in the fifth round.
However, the PPE (proven performance escalators) clause in the CBA increased his salary.
He achieved the “Level One PPE” for participating in a certain percentage of the Jets’ defensive snaps in “two of his first three seasons”, per Over The Cap.
In Hall’s first two seasons, he appeared in 93 and 98 percent of the defensive snaps respectively. In totality that was 1,761 total snaps across 25 games.
The former Virginia product didn’t play anywhere near that amount last season only appearing in five games and he didn’t make a single start. Hall played in only five percent of those snaps.
The PPE clause has its pros and cons. On one side of the coin, getting more money for what you do is great. However when you’re at the bottom of the roster that can be a perfect reason to get rid of you because you’re too pricey for what you’re offering.
Hall was essentially punished for playing more than he was expected to early in his career. So instead of having that be the reason he was dumped, Hall took a pay cut to stay in New York.
Ahead of roster cuts insiders around the team were split on if Hall would make the team.
Rich Cimini of ESPN projected that Hall would be left off of the team. While Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic thought Hall would make the team in his predictions.
Hall’s Pay Cut Might Have Just Delayed the Inevitable
Hall secured his spot on the team – for now.
Jets cornerback Brandin Echols is suspended for the first game of the season against the Buffalo Bills on September 11. After that contest, he is eligible to return which means the Jets will have to open up a roster spot ahead of Week 2 to fit him back on the team.
Rosenblatt said “It’ll be interesting to see if he remains safe” once Echols returns in an article posted on August 29.
Gang Green is currently carrying five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster: Sauce Gardner, DJ Reed, Michael Carter II, Justin Hardee, and the aforementioned Hall.
One of these is not like the others.
The first three names are all starters and Hardee is a Pro Bowl special teamer. That leaves Hall as the most expendable piece of the group that could be replaced in Week 2 by Echols who has performed well when called upon.
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2021 Jets Starter Takes Massive Pay Cut to Stay on Team: Report